Fake Petrol Dealer Jailed For 7-Years Over N15million Scam In Rivers State

Fake Petrol Dealer Jailed For 7-Years Over N15million Scam In Rivers State

The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt’s Zonal
Office, on Wednesday April 10th, 2019, secured the conviction of Otti
Leo and his company: Otileb Integrated Services Limited, for obtaining
money under false pretences to the tune of N15, 000.000( Fifteen Million
Naira) only.

Leo was arraigned on December 4th, 2017 on two-count charges
bordering on obtaining money under false pretences. He pleaded not
guilty to the charges and the matter went into full trial, with EFCC
counsel, Celestina Okorie leading the prosecution.

Justice A.T Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port
Harcourt, Rivers State found him guilty of the two charges, convicted
and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment and ordered that his
company: Otileb Integrated Services Limited be wound up by the Corporate
Affairs Commission.

Leo’s journey to prison began when a petitioner alleged that,
sometime in April, 2016 the convict approached him with a proposal of
leasing a petroleum Service Station to him in Aba, Abia State for a
period of 10 years at the rate of N15million.

The petitioner said that he got interested in the proposal and raised
a draft of N15million in favour of the convict. However, when he wanted
to take possession of the Station, he met still resistance from persons
that claimed to be genuine agents of Mr. Alex Otti, the actual owner of
the Station.

The petitioner also claimed that the convict neither returned the
money paid to him nor offered another Service Station to him. Defence
Counsel, D. O. Okoro pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy
since the convict was a first offender.

However, Justice Mohammed sentenced him to seven years imprisonment
and an order of restitution of N15million to the victim. He also ordered
that the convict’s company: Otileb Integrated Services Limited be wound
up by the Corporate Affairs Commission.

One of the read: “That you, Otti Leo, Otileb Integrated Services
Limited, and others now at large sometime in 2016 at Port Harcourt in
Port Harcourt Judicial Division did with intend to defraud, obtain the
sum of N15,000.000 (Fifteen Million Naira) only from one Mr. Anyasi
Mathew, (Managing Director of Ayas Oil Ltd) under the false pretense
that you will lease a filling station to him for a period of ten years, a
representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence,
contrary to section 1(i)(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related
Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.