A former Deputy Chief Registrar of the Oyo State High Court, Mutiat Adio, has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for presenting a dud cheque for the purchase of a vehicle. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan Zonal Office, said on Monday that it secured Adio’s conviction last Friday.
Adio was sentenced after pleading guilty to a fresh charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretences and issuance of a dud cheque, contrary to Section 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.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, said Adio obtained a 2000 Toyota Pathfinder SUV, valued at N1,500,000 from one Fabunmi Samuel of Fatai Olanrewaju Motors with a cheque of that value.
However, the cheque was dishonoured within three months of the issuance for insufficient funds. Upon arraignment on January 30, 2018, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge, but turned round to plead guilty after a plea bargain agreement led to the amendment of the charge.
Justice Owolabi thereafter pronounced her guilty of the offence and sentenced her to three years in prison. The court also ordered her to restitute to the victim the sum of N500,000, in addition to the sum of N1,000,000 she had previously paid. With the development, Adio has had a total of three convictions.
She was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment on May 18, 2018, for obtaining N9.2m from a Nigerian resident in Ireland, Abiodun Olonade, on false pretences. Also, on March 6, 2020, she was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for stealing N22,375,913 from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.
PUNCH