EFCC says the convicts misinformed its operatives that they saw a huge sum of money in a house at Enu-Aqua in Cross River State.
The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has convicted two fake whistleblowers, Dominic Okem and Chukwunonso Igweonu.
A statement by the spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wilson Uwujaren, said on Monday that the trial judge, I.M. Sani, convicted and sentenced each of the two men to two months’ imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine on March 4.
According to the statement, the judge passed the judgment after the two of them pleaded guilty to the offences of conspiracy and giving misleading and false information to EFCC operatives.
It explained that the convicts got into trouble when they misinformed the EFCC that they saw a huge sum of money in a house, located at Enu-Aqua in Cross River State.
“ However, when operatives of the commission executed a search warrant on the said property, nothing incriminating was found,” it added.
READ STATEMENT IN FULL:
EFCC Press Release
Court Jails Two False Whistle Blowers in Port Harcourt
Justice I.M. Sani of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has convicted and sentenced two false whistle blowers: Dominic Okem and Chukwunonso Igweonu, to two months imprisonment each for conspiracy and giving misleading and false information.
They were convicted on March 4, 2021 after pleading “guilty” to two- count charges bordering on giving false information, following their arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
One of the charges read: “That you Dominic Okem and Chukwunonso Igweonu on or about the 22nd Day of January, 2021 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire between yourselves to give false information to officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to wilt: huge fund were found at Enu/Akwu Street, Federal Housing Estate, in Calabar Cross Rivers State, which information turned out to be false, untrue/misleading and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 39 (2) (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004.
Based on their “guilty” plea, prosecution counsel, F.O. Amama prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly. The defence counsel. E. Wanogho however, prayed the court not to raise its hammer too hard as the defendants were actually carrying out their civic responsibilities in line with the whistle blowing policy of the Federal Government. He regretted that the effort to expose the proceeds of crime turned out otherwise.
In his judgment, Justice Sani found Okem and Igweonu guilty as charged and convicted and sentenced them to two months imprisonment, with an option of fine of One Hundred Thousand Naira( N100,000) each.
The convicts got into trouble when they misinformed the EFCC that they saw a huge sum of money in a house, located at Enu-Aqua in Cross River State. However, when operatives of the Commission executed a search warrant on the said property, nothing incriminating was found.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
Credit: Premium Times