A former Special Adviser to Dan Abia, erstwhile Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, George Turnah, and two others have been sentenced to to six years imprisonment for obtaining money under false pretence by a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
This was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the EECC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren.
According to the statement, the two others, Ebis Orubebe and Uzorgor Chidebere, sentenced alongside Turnah by Presiding Judge, Justice A. T. Mohammed, were also convicted of money laundering, conversion of funds and forgery contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
Turnah was the political godson of former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.
The defendants were originally arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in May 2017 and re-arraigned on January 25, 2021, on 23 counts bordering on obtaining by false pretence, money laundering and abuse of office to the tune of N2,894,500,000.
The statement said, “They were jailed on Thursday, September 7, 2023, having been found guilty of charges preferred against them by the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“Count six of the charge reads: ‘that you, George Turnah Alabh, Uzogor Silas Chidiebere, El-Godams Global Services Ltd., Turnoil and Gas Nigeria Ltd, Kolo Creek Petroleum Dev. Ltd, Celtic Pride Consult and Events Ltd, Yenagoa Mall Ltd, the Incorporated Trustees of Concerned Niger Delta Initiative, Adaka Boro Marine Services Ltd, Sugarland Integrated Farms Nig. Ltd, Geohan Telecommunication Nig. Ltd and others at large, on or about the 24th day of November 2014, at Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did take possession of the sum of Seven Hundred and Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N708,500,000.00) which you reasonably ought to know that the money was obtained by a false pretence from the Niger Delta Development Commission purportedly for the purpose of providing quick win jobs for 300 youths and women groups and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under 15 (3) of the same Act.’”
It added, “Count 23 of the charge reads: ‘that you George Turnah Alabh in 2014 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did receive the sum of $1000,000.00 (One Million United State Dollars) (at the exchange rate of N184 to a Dollar) cash from one Umar Lawal of Hakuri Global Concept exceeding the statutory limit without going through a financial institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16 (2) (b) of the same Act.’”
According to the statement, they pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
It added that the prosecuting counsel, I. Agwu, called several witnesses and tendered documents to prove the case against the defendants.
Justice Mohammed convicted and sentenced them to two years imprisonment each, starting from the date of their arrest.
