Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
An accountant with the Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu, Mr Emmanuel Sombo, has been jailed for 304 years for forgery and stealing of N34. 9 million from the school funds.
An Enugu State High Court presided over by Justice Kenneth Okpe, last Thursday, convicted Sombo of the 61-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
In the suit marked E/56C/2010, the Accountant was alleged to have on several occasions forged the signatures of principal officers of the institution on promissory notes with which he cashed monies running into N34 million from the institution’s First Bank account for his personal use.
He forged the signatures of the College Provost, the Registrar and the Bursar, who had respectively, denied signing the cheques with which he withdrew the said monies.
During the trial, EFCC forensic experts after careful analysis of samples of the Principal Officers’ signatures, confirmed that the ones on the cheques used in the transactions were all forged.
The matter had dragged since 2010 as the accused had pleaded not guilty in all 61-count charge.
Delivering judgment on the matter, Hon Justice Okpe said that the court had no qualms in arriving at the conclusion that the accused actually forged the disputed signatures based on the compelling evidence before the court.
The Judge further said that he believed the accused acted alone as he could not call a single witness.
He said: “The court is satisfied that the circumstantial evidence placed before it is cogent, compelling and points irresistibly to the fact that the accused person committed the offence of forging the disputed cheques. He acted alone and is still alone as he could not call even one witness from the college to support his defence.
“These elements of the offence are present in the instant case and I, therefore, hold that the prosecution has proved all the ingredients of the offence of forgery beyond reasonable doubt and accordingly I find the accused guilty of forgery as charged in counts 32 to 61.
“All the elements of stealing are present in this case. The accused person in his statement to the EFCC said he knew that the disputed cheques were fraudulently issued but he was asked by his boss to play along.
“He cashed the cheques and disbursed the proceeds in a manner that permanently deprived the Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu of the ownership of the money. I therefore also find the accused person guilty of the offence of stealing as charged in counts 1 to 31.”
“I will therefore sentence the accused person, Emmanuel Sombo, to 7 years imprisonment for each of the offences of stealing in counts 1 to 31 in the Amended information, 217 years.
“I also sentence him to 3 years imprisonment for each of the offences of forgery in counts 32 to 61 of the Amended Information, 87 years. However, the entire sentences are to run concurrently with effect from today. This is my judgment in this case.”
The institution has been in the news for the wrong reasons in the recent times following allegations of financial mismanagement against the accused.
Eha-Amufu College of Education is one of the oldest federal institutions in Enugu State.
