A Lagos State High sitting in Ikeja, on Wednesday, convicted and sentenced Pastor Harry Uyanwanne, his wife, Oluwakemi Odemuyiwa (a.k.a Kristein Uyanwanne) and their alongside Temple International Church over N52 million fraud.
Justice Mojisola Dada, who presided over the court handed down the verdict after finding them guilty of the offences preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The judge also ordered that the pastor’s Church be deregistered and closed down for using the name of God and the church to defraud people.
The EFCC had filed seven counts bordering on stealing, dishonest conversion, false presentation and fraud against the convicts.
They have denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the offences, when they were arraigned on February 25, 2020, hence, the prosecution commenced trial.
During the trial, the prosecution counsel, Mr Babatunde Sonoiki, called five witnesses while the convicts called two witnesses.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Dada held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and, therefore, found both of them guilty.
The judge sentenced the duo to three years imprisonment on count one, while on count two to six, the first convict, Harry Uyanwanne, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
The second convict (Odemuyiwa) was sentenced to three years imprisonment, but the court discharged and acquitted them on count seven.
In all, Uyanwanne was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment while Odemuyiwa (a.k.a Kristein Uyanwanne) was sentenced to six years.
The judge ordered that the sentence should run concurrently.
Justice Dada also ordered the third convict, Temple International Church, to be deregistered and closed down.
“Using the name of God and church to defraud people, I order that the third convict should be deregistered and closed down,” she said.
The judge ordered the convicts to restitute the sum of N31 million to the nominal complainant within 60 days of the judgment.
The EFCC had alleged that sometime in March 2016, the convicts dishonestly converted the sum of N10 million for their own use, property of the late Mrs. Janet Adeola Odemuyiwa.
The anti-graft agency said that the convicts, with false intent to defraud, sold the property known as Plot 32, Block 9, Magodo Residential Scheme 1, Ikeja Local Government to one Mr. Kingsley Atere for the sum of N42 million on the false presentation that the first convict was authorised to sell the property by the bonafide owner, the late Mrs. Odemuyiwa.
The offences according to the EFCC, contravened Section 1 (2) and (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No. 14 2006 and Sections 278 and 285 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria No. 11, 2011.
Additional reports from Punch
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