15th March, 2023
Prince Laseberry Okafor Anyanwu, aka Laseberry Okafor, a former commissioner under the defunct administration of Governor Rochas Okorocha in Imo State has been sentenced to three years imprisonment after he was found guilty on a four- count charge of abuse of office and fraudulent diversion of N180 million.
The former commissioner was docked by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly diverting the sum of N180 million from the account of the Imo Transport Company to Oma Oil & Industries Ltd, a company in which he has interest through phony contracts.
According to the charges filed against him in court, Anyanwu diverted the N180 million between 6th day and 10th day of November, 2017, while he was Chairman, Committee on Review of Imo Transport Company.
He allegedly transferred the money in two tranches of N100 million and N80 million from the account of the transport company to the account of Oma Oil & Industries Ltd where he is a Shareholder/Director/Chairman/Chief Executive Officer.
One of the charges reads, “Prince Laseberry Okafor Anyanwu aka Laseberry Okafor between the 6th day of November, 2017 and 10th day of November, 2017, while being employed as the Chairman, Committee on Review of Imo Transport Company, used his office to confer a corrupt advantage upon himself when he caused the transfer of the N100,000,000.00(One Hundred Million Naira only) property of Imo Transport Company’s account with Imo State Microfinance bank’s Polaris bank account to the Polaris bank account No:40906668828 belonging to Oma Oil & Industries Ltd, a company in which he is a Shareholder/Director/Chairman/Chief Executive and signatory to the bank accounts of the said company”.
Another count reads, “Prince Laseberry Okafor Anyanwu aka Laseberry Okafor also on the 31st day of January, 2018, used his office to confer a corrupt advantage upon himself when he caused another transfer of the sum of #80,000.000.00(Eighty Million Naira only) property of Imo State Government from the Imo State Ministry of Transport’s account with Polaris Bank to the Polaris Bank Account No:40906668828 belonging to Oma Oil & Industries Ltd, a company in which he is a Shareholder/Director/Chairman/Chief Executive and signatory to the bank accounts of the said company”.
The defendant had pleaded not guilty to the four counts, setting the stage for the matter to proceed to trial.
In the course of trial, the prosecution called three witnesses and tendered several documents which were admitted in evidence as Exhibits.
At the close of the prosecution’s case, the defendant opened his defence, and testified for himself.
Delivering judgment on March 14, 2023, Justice K. A Lewanya of the Imo State High Court, Owerri held that the prosecution had proved the case against the defendant, convicted and sentenced him to one year imprisonment each on counts 2, 3, and 4 without option of fine.
The sentence shall run concurrently.
The Judge, however, discharged and acquitted him on count one.
The Judge further ordered that the N180 million in the accounts of the defendant, already the subject of an interim forfeiture order, be forfeited to the Imo State Government.