Emmanuel Koroma, who used a fake document to stand as surety for his brother-in-law, has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by an Ikeja Special Offences Court on Monday.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo sentenced the convict to two years in prison, following his guilty plea to nine counts bordering on forgery, use of false document and protecting informant and information.
“The defendant is deceptive and fraudulent. If you’re going to stand a surety for someone, use a genuine document.
“I hereby find the defendant guilty as charged.
”I have considered the allocutus of the defence counsel, I hereby sentenced him to two years imprisonment,” Taiwo said.
The judge, however gave the option of the term running concurrently or the convict paying a fine of N100,000 on each count.
Mrs. J.A Mercy Ahagbue, the defence counsel, in her allocutus, appealed with the court to temper Justice with mercy, stating that the wife of defendant had two months after his arrest put to birth.
“He is a first offender my lord, he is pleading with this honorable court to please tender justice with mercy. He is also promising to be a better person to his society as a whole. He is sincerely sorry my lord,” Ahagbue said.
Mr. Samuel Jaji, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, in his evaluation of fact dated Sept. 14 and a letter from Julius Berger, stating that the document did not in fact emanate from them, had urged the court to convict the defendant as charged.
Jaji submitted that the defendant, in order to assist the securing of one Yusuf Ademola, forged a document titled “employment letter” dated July 14, 2014 and claimed the document to have been issued by Julius Berger.
The prosecutor said that the defendant also forged a document titled “confirmation of employment dated Oct.15 2014, impersonated same from Julius Berger in order to secure bail for his brother in law.
The EFCC counsel said the offences violated Sections 363(1), 366(1) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015, and Section 39(2) (a) of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004.
