On Wednesday, September 21, an Ikeja Special Offences Court, sentenced Ayodeji Oluokun, an assistant pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), City of David Parish, Victoria Island, Lagos, to two years imprisonment for issuing $1.6 million dollar dud cheque.
Oluokun was charged alongside his company, Peak Petroleum Industry Nigeria Ltd., on an amended six-count charge bordering on the issuance of a dud cheque, stealing and obtaining money under false pretences.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, in her judgment, held that the prosecution had successfully proved the charge of issuance of a dud cheque against the defendants, GIOTV reported.
Taiwo, however, discharged and acquitted the defendants of stealing and obtaining money under false pretences. She said: “Issuance of a cheque for lack of credit is a strictly liable offence. “He is hereby found guilty of counts one and two of issuance of dud cheque.”
The judge thereafter sentenced the first defendant to two years in prison or payment of a fine of N2 million, and the second defendant to a fine of N2 million, GIOTV also reported.
She ordered the convict to make restitution of 1.6 million dollars to the nominal complainant within 18 months.
The defence counsel, Mr Edoka Onyeke, in his allocutus, prayed the court to grant the convict a non-custodial sentence, adding that he was a pastor and could use his pastoral work as service to humanity, through community service.
Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Samuel Daji, however, urged the court to convict the defendants as charged.