The State High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State has convicted and sentenced the Managing Director of Orient Petroleum Resources Plc, Nnaemeka Nwawka, Jude Cyril and Sage Nebefeife Foundation to 14 years imprisonment each for stealing, conversion and gratification to the tune of N25 billion.
They were jailed by Justice O. M. Anyachebelu after being found guilty of ten-count charges bordering on stealing, conversion and gratification.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them, prompting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its counsel, Victor Ukagwu to go into full trial with him. The trial lasted ten years.
The EFCC called four witnesses and tendered several documentary evidence admitted and marked exhibits p1 to p24.
The evidence showed how Nwawka ensured that contracts were awarded to his friend’s companies from Orient Petroleum Resources Plc, how monies were paid to the companies and eventually returned to him through his Foundation and how he withdrew the said monies and used them for his personal needs.
Counsel to the first and third defendants, U. N. Udechukwu, SAN, and counsel to the second defendant, E.S.C Obiora, SAN, held briefs for their clients, offering defences on how the contracts were handled.
However, Justice Anyachebe found the defendants guilty and convicted them accordingly.
The court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and therefore sentenced Nwawka and his Foundation to 14 years imprisonment.
The court also ordered the convict and his Foundation to refund the sum of 140, 900, 000 to Orient Petroleum Resources Plc.
Nwawka and his co-travelers bagged their imprisonment when one of the investors in his company, Chief Cletus Ibeto petitioned the Commission that he invested the sum of N25 billion into Orient Petroleum Resources Plc but Nnawka through award of suspicious and bogus contracts to his friend’s companies, got most of the monies back through his Sage Nebefeife Foundation.