The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Makurdi Zonal Command on Friday secured the conviction and sentencing of one Sorochi Theresa Amohu before Justice Austine Ityonyiman of the State High Court, Makurdi, Benue State. The suspect was arraigned on one-count charge of criminal misappropriation and dishonestly converting N4,826,150.00.

The money was part of daily contributions paid by customers through her. The victim wrote a petition to the Commission that Amohu was employed by their company as a recovering officer and she was promoted to the post of cash operations manager in charge of daily collections, point of sale transaction, DStv/GOtv decoders’ sales, subscription and installation and other cash transactions of the company. In this capacity, the defendant collected daily contributions from customers and did not remit the money to her employers. Amohu was first arraigned on January 18, 2022 and pleaded not guilty to a one count charge and the case proceeded to full trial.

To prove the case against her, the prosecution called three witnesses and tendered 21 exhibits, which were admitted in evidence, while the defendant called two witnesses and tendered one exhibit.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Ityonyiman held that the prosecution had proved the case against the defendant and sentenced her to one year imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine. Count one of the charge reads:

“That you, Amohu Sorochi Theresa, while being the Cash Operation Finance Manager of Divinebase Transactions Services, a registered business name, sometime in 2021 at Makurdi, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did dishonestly convert the sum of Four Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty Six Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty Naira (N4, 826,150.00) only, being part of daily contributions paid by customers through you in favour of the said Divinebase Transactions Services and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 309 of the Penal Code Cap. 124 (Revised Edition) Laws of Benue State, 2004 and punishable under Section 310 of the same Law.”