Justice Raliat Adebiyi of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on Friday convicted and sentenced Alhaji Mohammed Gobir, a former director of Afromedia Plc, to seven years in prison for defrauding the leading outdoor advertising companies of over N8 billion.
Justice Adebiyi jailed Gobir, who was also a former boss of Kwara Hotels, of all the 17-count charge bordering on stealing, obtaining money under false pretence and forgery brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The judge held in her judgment that the EFCC had successfully proven the case against the convict beyond a reasonable doubt.
Justice Adebiyi also condemned the convict for breaching his employer’s trust and for manipulating corporate structures for personal gain.
The anti-graft agency had arraigned Gobir in 2016 after receiving a detailed petition from Afromedia Plc outlining shocking details of deception and financial manipulation that cost the company hundreds of millions of naira and foreign currency.
The commission accused the convict of fraudulently obtaining $1 million, N514,457,151.87, $2,102,740, N123 million, and £51,000 at various times from the company.
The EFCC further claimed that Gobir, who was also the chairman of the Business Development Committee of Afromedia Plc, lied that the funds were meant to secure deals with international investors and to retrieve $250 million that he claimed was “stashed” in a UK bank and temporarily held by British anti-money laundering authorities.
The anti-graft agency also told the judge that the convict had, between January 2009 and December 2011, with an intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N514,457,151.87 from the firm by falsely pretending that the amount represented the cost of facilitating and securing the sum of $70 million from his account with NATVEST Bank, London, United Kingdom.
The EFCC also alleged that the businessman obtained $2.102 million and £ 51,000 under false pretence that the sums would be used to facilitate and secure $70 million from his account with NATVEST Bank, London, United Kingdom, as his investment fund in Afromedia Plc out of the $250 million.
The EFCC further accused Gobir of dishonestly converting $1 million and N123 million belonging to the firm to his personal use.
The commission alleged that the accused person had on November 14, 2012, and September 12, 2015, forged a document belonging to Hot Forex a plc, captioned ‘Disclosure of fund depositor with Natwest Bank International London, purportedly signed by one Mr. Raymond Spinger, and communicate same to Akinola Irewunmi Olopade, the Afromedia Plc managing director/chief executive officer, with intent that the said document may be used or acted on as genuine to the prejudice of Olopade or any other person.
The accused person was also alleged to have fraudulently used a Royal Dutch Exchange Bureau Plc document dated July 5, 2010, and December 2012, captioned “Re: Update in the Natwest Bank deposits-OT21991 ($250m)” and purportedly signed by one John Williams Smith, Director of Personnel and Administration, and communicated it to Olopade with the intent that the said document may be used or acted upon as genuine.
He was also alleged to have forged an EU waiver certificate dated June 30, 2010, fraudulently claiming that it was issued by Royal Dutch Exchange Bureau Plc to him as the beneficiary and signed by the Registrar, and communicating the same to Olopade with the intent that said document may be used or acted upon as genuine.
According to the prosecutor, A.B.C. Ozioko, the offences are contrary to and punishable under sections 1(1)(a), 1(3), 285(8), 9(b), 278(1)(b), 363(1), 2(b), 364(1) of the Criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003, and sections 6, 8(b), 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud related offences Act No. 14 of 2006.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge when he was arraigned in 2016.
