Medical Professional Jailed for Million-Dollar Fraud: What Went Wrong?

Geraldine Orok Ita, a doctor, was sentenced to seven years in prison by the Federal High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, South-South Nigeria, for defrauding and diverting N127 million, the prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), announced on Saturday.

The statement stated that during a trial that started in 2019, trial judge Rosemary Oghogho-rie found Ms. Ita guilty and imprisoned her, although it did not specify the date of the verdict.

One of the twelve charges against Ms. Ita was the fabrication of a document dated June 11, 2014, that was allegedly signed by Rose Orok Ita, a director of Sharpnet Concept Limited.

She was charged by another count with intentionally obtaining N45 million in criminal proceeds via the First Bank-based bank account of ROK Projects Limited. The accusation states that the University of Calabar (UNICAL) deposited the funds into the account in connection with a project that ROK Projects Limited and Sharpnet Concept Limited carried out.

Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offenses Cap M17, Law of the Federation and Nigeria 2004, which deals with the fabrication of documents, checks, promissory notes, or other negotiable instruments, was one of the legal provisions under which the EFCC prosecuted her in 2019. Upon conviction, it imposes a 21-year prison sentence without the possibility of a fine.

She was additionally charged by the commission under section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, which makes it illegal to acquire or control property or funds knowing that they are part of the profits of criminal activity. According to Section 16 of the Act, if found guilty, the offender faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison or a fine equal to five times the amount of the crime's proceeds.

The physician had entered a not guilty plea to the accusations.

The prosecution, led by Joshua Abolarin, called a number of witnesses and presented documentary documents to bolster their case throughout the ensuing trial.

The trial judge sentenced the accused to seven years in jail after concluding that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The path to jail for Ms. Ita
The trial was started in 2019 when two directors of Sharpnet Concept Limited and ROK Project Limited filed a petition against Ms. Ita with the EFCC, according to the agency's statement.

She was charged by the petitioners with fabricating and illegally changing the company's documentation to remove two original directors from the records and claiming to be the second wife of Orok Okonkon Ita, who passed away in 2004.

In addition, the petitioners claimed that the convicted individual had changed the firms' registered address to No. 25, Uyo Street, Off Market Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and engaged a new company secretary on November 6, 2014.

It has also been alleged that she returned and re-allocated shares.