N204m Fraud: Supreme Court affirms former finance commissioner’s seven-year jail term

The Supreme Court has affirmed the decisions of the trial Court and the Court of Appeal that convicted and sentenced Senator Albert Bassey to seven years’ imprisonment and ordered the restitution of the sum of N204m (Two Hundred and Four Million Naira) to Akwa Ibom State.

The decision of the five-man panel of the apex court delivered on Friday by Justice Stephen Jonah Adah, having reviewed the appeal of the appellant, concluded that the decision of the Court of Appeal is affirmed, but the order of restitution which the High Court made but was ignored by the Court of Appeal was restored.

“The order of this court is that the conviction and sentencing imposed by the lower court on the 23 day of June 2023 on the appellant is hereby affirmed but the order of the lower court avoiding the order of restitution given by the trial court did not follow the law, so it is revised and the right order is to nullify same and thereby the restitution of sum of N204m made by the trial court is restored”,  he said.

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Bassey`s journey to prison started following his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which had, in 2019, arraigned him on a seven-count charge for allegedly taking possession of six vehicles worth N204 million as bribes while serving as finance commissioner in Akwa Ibom.

Bassey reportedly collected one of the vehicles from Jide Omokore, an associate of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Omokore reportedly had dealings with the Akwa Ibom state government when he offered the vehicle to the former commissioner.

The anti-graft agency had listed the vehicles bought for the convicted senator to include, Infinity QX 56 BP, valued at N45 million; Toyota Land Cruiser V8 BP, valued at N40 million; Range Rover, valued at N40 million; Toyota Hiace, High Roof, valued at N27 million; Toyota Hiace High Roof, valued at N16 million and Toyota Hilux 4×4, valued at N36 million.

On December 1, 2022, Bassey was convicted on all the seven-count charges against him and sentenced to seven years in prison for each charge, totalling 42 years.

“He was convicted on all seven-count charges against him and sentenced to seven years in prison for each charge, totalling 42 years on Thursday, December 1, 2022. “

The defendant proceeded to the appellate court, where a three-man panel led by Justice Rapheal Chikwe Agbo upheld the conviction, with an option of a fine, before the apex court struck out the judgment in parts.