Justice Angela Otaluka of an FCT High Court Apo on Monday
sentenced a 29-year old whistleblower, James Urah, to two years in
prison for giving false information with the intention to mislead
the ICPC.
The Judge, however noted that the convict had spent two years in
custody and as such, has been deemed to have served his
sentence.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the convict, was
charged to court in 2017 on a two-count charge of knowingly
providing false information and giving a false name.
He was prosecuted by The Independent Corrupt Practices
Commission (ICPC).
The ICPC Counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, told the court that
sometime in September 2017, Urah gave false information concerning
a Senator who hid money on his farm.
The convict was said to have claimed that he had personal
knowledge of the transfer of a huge sum of money from Abuja to a
poultry farm in Niger by his boss.
Akponimisingha further informed the court that Urah gave his
name as John Godwin which was later realised to be a false
name.
Although the convict had pleaded not guilty to the charge, the
case suffered some set backs and adjournments as he had no legal
representation for several months while he was in custody.
The trial, however, subsequently commenced after a lawyer was
provided for the convict from the Karina Tunyan & Co.
Defence Counsel, Isioma Kelubia, however argued that the law on
which the convict was arraigned are repealed laws.
She argued that the laws had been struck out from the laws of
ICPC.
In her judgment, Otaluka, however dismissed the claim by saying
that as long as the elements of the crime are contained in the
constitution, the charges can stand.
After listening to a very brief allocutus (plea for mercy) by
defence counsel who urged the court to temper justice with mercy as
he was a first time offender, the court sentenced him accordingly.
(NAN)
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