Justice I.O. Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, has convicted and sentenced a businesswoman, Oluremi Phillips to 17 years imprisonment for N57.69million fraud.
A statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on its official X handle disclosed that Philips was previously standing trial before Justice S.O. Solebo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, following her arraignment on January 27, 2022.
However, the statement said that the trial could not be concluded before the retirement of Justice Solebo in November 2022, a development that resulted in the reassigning of the case file to Justice Ijelu.
“She was on May 22, 2023, rearraigned before Justice Ijelu alongside her company, Omritas Energy Limited on a five-count charge bordering on stealing and issuance of dud cheques to the tune of N57, 690, 000.
“Oluremi Ebun Philips and Omritas Energy Limited, sometime in 2016 at Lagos, fraudulently converted and stole the sum of N57, 690,000.00 property of AYM Shafa Limited meant for the supply of automotive gas oil which you failed to supply.
“Oluremi Ebun Philips and Omritas Energy Limited, on or about the 10th of April 2017 at Lagos, knowingly issued a Diamond Bank cheque of Nigeria Plc for the sum of N14, 298, 075. 00 payable to AYM Shafa Limited, which when presented for payment was dishonoured because no sufficient funds were standing to the credit of the account,” the statement added.
The anti-graft agency stated that the defendant had pleaded not guilty to all the counts preferred against her.
Read also: Bayelsa moves to ensure steady power supply
However, in the course of the trial, the prosecution counsel, T.J. Banjo called three witnesses through whom several documentary evidence were presented in court to prove the case against the defendant. The defence also presented three witnesses during the trial.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ijelu held that the prosecution proved the case against the defendants beyond every reasonable doubt and convicted them on counts one to five.
The judge thereafter, sentenced the first defendant to nine years imprisonment on count one, with an option of a N1million fine to be paid within 90 days and two years each on counts two to five. The sentences are to run concurrently.
The second defendant was fined N250, 000 on count one and N100, 000 each on counts two to five.
The court further ordered the restitution of N57, 690, 000 to be paid to the victim within 90 days.
The company was also ordered to be wound up within 90 days if it failed to fulfil the restitution.
