By Edwin Eriye
One Lawrence Maduagwu has been convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by Justice Mojisola Dada of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos over $179,000 fraud.
Lawrence was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Office, on Wednesday on a two-count charge bordering on stealing and obtaining by false pretense the sum of $179,000.00.
Maduagwu was introduced to the complaint, PMC Industry Limited, a Chinese company, through its Nigerian representative, Ohio Ileogben, as a businessman who deals in calcium chloride chemicals.
The suspect however failed to pay for the 500 metric tons of calcium powder valued $179,000, after taking delivery of the items and efforts to get him to pay were unsuccessful.
The defendant however pleaded not guilty to the charge, thereby leading to his full trail.
In the course of the trail, the prosecution counsel, S.O.Daji, called five witnesses and tendered several exhibits that were admitted in evidence by the court.
However, the defendant who testified for himself also called two other witnesses.
During the sitting on June 19, 2019, parties adopted their final written addresses respectively.
Justice Dada, while delivering her Judgment on Wednesday, convicted and sentenced the defendant to seven years imprisonment on one count and three years on count two.
