The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan zonal office, on Friday, secured the conviction of a former Deputy Chief Registrar of the Oyo State High Court, Mutiat Adio.
She was convicted after pleading guilty to a fresh charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretense and issuance of dishonored cheque contrary to sections 419 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000 and Section 1 (1) (b) of the Dishonored Cheque (Offences) Act, Cap. D11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
In a statement on Sunday by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, titled, ‘Ex- Oyo Deputy Chief Registrar jailed over dud cheque,’ Adio was alleged to have obtained a 2000 model Toyota Pathfinder SUV valued at N1.5 million from one Fabunmi Samuel of Fatai Olanrewaju Motors by pretending to him that it would be paid once the cheque is presented to her bank.
The victim reportedly released the said vehicle to her but the cheque was dishonoured within three months of issuance for insufficient funds in the account.
Upon arraignment on January 30, 2018, the defendant had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but later changed her plea to ‘guilty’, after a plea bargain agreement leading to the amendment of the charge.
Justice Owolabi ,thereafter, pronounced defendant guilty of the offence and sentenced her to three years in prison.
The court also ordered her to restitute to her victim the sum of N500,000 in addition to the sum of N1m she had previously paid in restitution to the victim.
The statement read, “With the latest development, Adio completes a hat-trick of convictions having previously been jailed twice for fraud On May 18, 2018, when she was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for obtaining N9.2m from one Abiodun Olonade, a Nigerian resident in Ireland, by false pretence.
“Also, on March 6, 2020, she was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for stealing a sum of N22.3m from Guaranty Bank Plc.”
