A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, has sentenced Dr. Geraldine Orok-Ita to seven years in prison for fraud amounting to ₦127,686,594.87.
This was made known by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on its X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday.
According to the EFCC, the verdict was delivered by Justice Rosemary Oghogho-Rie, following a trial that spanned over four years.
Dr. Orok-Ita was prosecuted by the Uyo Directorate of the EFCC on a 12-count charge of forgery and diversion of funds. The case against her stemmed from allegations of fraudulent manipulation of company records and financial misappropriation involving two firms—Sharpnet Concept Limited and ROK Project Limited.
One of the charges against Ita read, “That you, Dr. Geraldine Orok Ita ‘F’, on or about the 6th day of November, 2014, in Calabar, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did make a forged document to wit: FORM CAC 10 (ANNUAL RETURN FOR A SMALL COMPANY) IN RESPECT OF SHARPNET CONCEPT LIMITED DATED 06/11/2014, purported to have been signed by Mrs. Rose Orok Ita (a Director in Sharpnet Concept Limited), with the intent that the document may be acted upon as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2) (C) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M 17 of the Revised Edition (Law of the Federation of Nigeria) and punishable under Section 1 (2) (C) of the same Act.”
Another charge detailed how Ita took possession of ‘₦45 million’ paid by the University of Calabar (UNICAL) for a project executed by ROK Projects Limited/Sharpnet Concept Limited, despite knowing the funds were proceeds of crime. This act violated the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).
Dr. Orok-Ita pleaded “not guilty” to all charges, leading to a lengthy trial that commenced in 2019.
“The prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin, presented witnesses and incontrovertible evidence against her. After careful consideration, Justice Oghogho-Rie ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced Ita to seven years imprisonment,” the statement read.
Giving a detailed account of how the trial commenced, the statement read, “Dr. Ita’s legal troubles began when the EFCC received a petition in 2019 from Sharpnet Concept Limited and ROK Project Limited.”
Two of the companies’ directors accused her of fraudulently altering company documents to remove them from the company’s records. She allegedly claimed to be the second wife of Engr. Orok Okonkon Ita, a deceased former director who passed away in 2004, and used this claim to reassign company shares and appoint a new company secretary on November 6, 2014.
The petition further stated that Orok-Ita changed the registered company address to No. 25, Uyo Street, off Market Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and unlawfully carried out re-allotments of shares in her favour.
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