Fraud: Court orders forfeiture of cars, iPhones to FG

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A Kaduna High Court on Wednesday ordered the EFCC to sell a Toyota Camry 2006 model, Mercedes benz GLK 2010  model, iPhone XR and iPhone Pro Max to the Federal Government.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) charged Godwin Pascal and Carlos Nathan with internet fraud.

Delivering judgment, Justice Dairus Khobo, also sentenced Pascal and Nathan  to two years imprisonment.

Justice Khobo however gave the convicts an option of N100,000 fine each.

Earlier, the Counsel to EFCC, P. C. Onyeneho, told the court that the convicts  belonged to a  syndicate of fraudsters operating in Barnawa and environe in Kaduna.

He said that  the convicts posed as Katie Geoffery, a female from the U.S. and struct a relationship with one Jimmy Michael.

In view of their plea, the EFCC counsel, called a witness and tendered some documents to prove the case.

Items tendered included: Toyota Camry 2006 model, Mercedes Benz GLK 2010  model and  iPhone XR and IPhone Pro Max, the defendant’s statement, consent to search devices form, certificate of compliance and scam documents printed from the defendant’s Instagram account.

The prosecutor stated that the convicts committed an offence punshiable under sections 1(1) and 319 of the Penal Code.

Relying on the documents tenderedand the witness testimony, the prosecution prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant as charge.

Counsel to the defendant, B. J. Francis, did not oppose the prayers by the prosecution, but urged the court to temper justice with mercy.