A former Chairman of the Gombe State Board of Internal Revenue and three other principal officers were on Thursday convicted by a State High Court over fraud to the tune of N25 million.
The convicts: Atiku Mu’azu Bayun, former chairman of the board; Mohammed Adi, chief store officer; Ibrahim Abubakar, chief accountant; and a director, Abubakar Usman were dragged to the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and theft.
EFCC counsel, Barrister Akande Israel, told the court that the convicts used their respective capacities as principal officers in the board of revenue, where they conspired and stole the sum of N25,060,000 belonging to the Gombe State Government.
The court was told that investigation by the Gombe zonal office of the EFCC revealed that the documents forged includes: several receipts attached to payment vouchers for which payments were released and converted to their personal used in the cause of their duties.
The court further heard that the offenses are contrary and punishable under Sections 96, 97, 286 and 287 of the Penal Code Law.
When asked by the court, they all pleaded guilty to the two-count charge levelled against them.
In view of their plea, the Prosecution counsel, Barrister Israel, applied to the court to convict them accordingly.
The Defence counsel, Barrister L.A. Haruna, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as his clients pleaded guilty on the first day of their arraignment.
He added that they had refunded some part of the money.
In her verdict, Justice Beatrice Iliya pronounced them guilty and convicted them.
Justice Iliya asked them to pay a fine of N100, 000 each. She also ordered them to refund the remaining amount to the state government within six months.
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