Two PDP Chieftains Jailed 2 Years For N142m Elections Bribe Scam
Two Peoples Democratic Event, PDP, Chieftains in Bauchi Scream, Saleh Hussaini Gamawa and Aminu Umar Gadiya, contain been convicted by a Federal Excessive Court docket, Bauchi and sentenced to 2 years imprisonment for offernces that bordered on conspiracy and cash laundering to the tune of N142, 460,000.00 (One Hundred and Forty Two Million, Four Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira).
Justice Hassan Dikko convicted the 2 PDP chieftains on March 2, while ruling on the 2 count price introduced in opposition to the defendants by the Financial and Monetary Crimes Charge, EFCC.
This was once disclosed in an announcement issued on Saturday by EFCC Spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren.
The defendants had been first arraigned on June 4, 2018 and re-arraigned on October 16, 2018 on a two count price for allegedly receiving over N142million to persuade the of the 2015 presidential elections in Bauchi Scream.
Depend even handed one of many price reads, “That you, Saleh Hussaini Gamawa and Aminu Umar Gadiya, all contributors of the Finance and Funds Disbursement Committee of the Peoples’ Democratic Event (PDP) 2015 Routine Elections, and in such capacities each on occasion in March, 2015 in Bauchi Scream within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court docket did agree amongst yourselves to commit an offence, to wit; Conspiracy to assemble cash price exceeding the sting equipped by legislation, thereby committed an offence opposite to Piece 18(a) and punishable below Piece 16(2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2012( as amended) now No.1, 2012”.
Depend two reads, “That you, Sale Hussaini Gamawa and Aminu Umar Gadiya, all contributors of the of the Finance and Funds Disbursement Committee of the peoples ‘Democratic Event (PDP) 2015 Routine Elections, and in such capacities each on occasion in March, 2015 in Bauchi Scream within the jurisdiction of this Honourabe Court docket did gather cash price of N142,460,000.00 ( One Hundred and Forty Two Million, Four Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira) from the Directorate of Finance, Bauchi Scream PDP Campaign Group exceeding the needed threshold of money price, thereby committed an offence opposite to Piece 1, 16(1)(d) and punishable below Piece 16(2)(b) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition)Act, 2011 (as amended) now No.1, 2012”
The defendants had pleaded not responsible to the costs, surroundings the stage for the case to proceed to beefy trial. Correct thru trial, the prosecution presented one contain about and tendered documents marked as Shows A1, A2 and A3. Both defendants testified in their respective defence.
At the shut of evidence, the final written addresses had been filed, exchanged and adopted on January 17, 2023, with the prosecution asking the court to convict the defendants as charged. The defence, on the different hand, submitted that the evidence presented in opposition to the defendant by the prosecution was once not credible and actually handy the court to discharge and acquit the defendants. Justice Dikko then reserved judgment for March 2, 2023.
Within the correctly-belief about judgment that lasted more than three hours, Justice Dikko reviewed the information of the case and the submissions of counsel and arrived on the conclusion that the prosecution proved the cases in opposition to the defendants past life like doubt on count one and convicted them as charged. He nonetheless discharged and acquitted the 2nddefendant on count two.
In line with justice Dikko, “the actual fact that the defendants on this instantaneous case endorsed train A1, A2 and A3 to receive cash to the tune of N142,460,,000.00, correctly in excess of the upright threshold designated by legislation, there can also just even be no different conclusion nonetheless that the defendants conspired to so commit the offence and I am overjoyed past life like doubt. It’s some distance highly amazing that in the defence of the count, the defendants entirely brushed off the negative evidence of displays A1,A2,and A3, lying factual before the Court docket. I therefore gain the 1stand 2nddefendants responsible of conspiracy as charged in court one and are accordingly convicted”.
On Depend two, he stated, “I actually contain relied practically fully on Shows A1, A2 and A3, and a shut scrutiny of the Shows demonstrates that the 1stdefendant, Saleh Hussaini Gamawa obtained N105, 840,000.00 in Repeat A1, N27, 650,000.00 in Repeat A2 and N8, 970,000.00 in Repeat A3, summing up to N142,460,000.00, all in the presence of, or witnessed by the 2nddefendant Aminu Umar Gadiya. The narrate material of these documents leaves no person doubtful as to who obtained the cash, that’s Saleh Hussaini Gamawa (1stdefendant) who is a natural particular person from the Bauchi Scream PDP Campaign Group (Director of Finance) which will not be a designated monetary institution, and for the motive of price to contributors all thru the Nationwide and Presidential Elections.
“The offence below Piece 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2012 is even handed one of strict liability. The truth of the price or receipt of money in excess of the sting by myself is ample to ground a conviction as can also just even be seen in the displays before this court and yet again, I am overjoyed past life like doubt. Consequently, I gain the 1srt defendant responsible of the count and is accordingly convicted. The 2nddefendant is hereby discharged and acquitted on this count””.
In these addresses, the 1stdefendant actually handy the court to be lenient and mood justice with mercy. “I actually contain a worthy family which involves the family of my elder brother who grew to alter into blind and may well not fend for his family; they survey up to me for sustenance, since the starting of this case neither the political party nor the Government came to my rescue, thus I prance the court to forgive me”, he stated.
The 2nddefendant also pleaded for leniency, arguing that he’s a retiree and had not benefited from the cash.
Earlier than sentencing the defendants, Justice Dikko acknowledged their pleas for leniency nonetheless insisted that they wants to be punished to succor as deterrent to others. “I rob into legend your pleas that it’s seemingly you’ll contain gotten family who will endure to your absence thus I will be lenient, nonetheless your offences wants to be punished correctly to discourage others in the society from perpetrating identical.” He which capacity that sentenced the 1stand 2nddefendants to 2years imprisonment on the Bauchi Correction Provider or an spectacular of N3,000,000.00 each in lieu of imprisonment on count one; while the 1stdefendant bagged an further 2years imprisonment or an spectacular of N3,000,000.00 in lieu of imprisonment on count two.
The sentences are to bustle similtaneously from March 2, 2023.
In different news, Kanyi Everyday reported that a 46-twelve months-out of date British man, Richard Spencer, has published how he wore beget-up to veil the bruises inflicted by his wife, Sheree, all thru long-established beatings from her.