Admin l Tuesday, October 30, 2018
IGBOSERE, Lagos, Nigeria – A Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere today sentenced an Indian national, Mr Sandeep Gocia to 22 years imprisonment for USD 250,000 fraud. Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo found him guilty of two of the three count charges of stealing, and obtaining money by false pretence brought against him and his company, Eastern Metal Limited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The anti-graft commission alleged that Gocia with one Mr. Arun Goswani who is at large obtained the sum of 250,000 US dollars from Boars Communication Limited under the pretence of giving him Naira equivalent. Grocia was said to have committed the offence when he was Chief Operating Officers (CEO) of Eastern Metal Limited sometimes on July 2015.
Justice Lawal-Akapo sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy and 15 years on second count charge of obtaining money by false pretence. The sentence is to run concurrently from October 25, 2018.
The judge however freed him on the third count charge of stealing, ordered him to him to pay restitution of N59,750 million to the victim. He also ordered that the second defendant, Eastern Metals Limited will henceforth cease to exist and the asset forfeited to the Federal government.
