Pascal Arogorn Ibe
A former Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Bishop Luscious Mayo has been handed a seven-year jail term for financial misappropriation.
A cashier who served under him, Rhoda Thompson, was similarly jailed seven years.
A high court in the state capital, Yola, passed the judgement on Monday, freeing two other defendants against whom the court could not find evidence of fraud.
The state High Court IV, on the other hand, said it found the former Executive Secretary, Luscious Mayo and his cashier, Rhoda Thompson guilty of misappropriating various funds put in their charge while they were at the board between August and December 2016.
Passing judgement on the case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Dr Luscious Jinga Mayo and Three Others, Justice Danladi Mohammed convicted and sentenced Luscious Mayo and Rhoda Thompson to seven years each without option of fine.
The EFCC had initially brought 9 charges against the four defendants but the suit was amended to a 10-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence, misappropriation, forgery, diversion of funds and non-declaration of assets.
On count 3 and 4, Justice Mohammed sentenced the ex-executive secretary to 7 years each without an option of fine, while on count 5 the first defendant was sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of N100, 000 fine, while on count 8 and 9 he was sentenced to two years imprisonment or an option of 100,000 fine while on count 10, the first defendant was sentenced to five years imprisonment without option of fine.
On count two the two convicts are to refund N84,948,600 while on count 3 the first defendant will refund N50,000 deposit made by each of the Christian pilgrims who upgraded their BTA from $500 to $750, amounting to N26,348,750.
On count four, the first respondent will return N15,690,000 to Adamawa State Government while on count 6 he is to refund N2,540,760 to four Christian pilgrims who deposited the funds to enable them perform the spiritual exercise but which he diverted.
The two convicts will serve seven years jail term each as their sentences are to run concurrently.
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