A former Special Assistant to Mr. Dan Abia, erstwhile Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Goerge Turnah Alabh, has been jailed four years for failure to make full disclosure of his assets in his disclosure to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Alabh was convicted and sentenced on Friday, May 20, 2022, by Justice A.T Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
TheFact Nigeria reports that Alabh, who was prosecuted by the Port Harcourt’s Zonal Command of the EFCC, between 2017 and 2022, for obtaining money by false pretence, money laundering and abuse of office, was arraigned, together with his wife, Jennifer Tinipre Turnah, on four- count amended charges.
According to one of the counts, Alabh, in March 2017, failed to make full disclosure of his assets, namely, his interest as one of the directors and majority shareholder of Ashford Consult and Events Nig. Ltd, in the Asset Declaration Form he filled at the office of the EFCC, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) & (3)(a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (3)(c) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act.
Justice Mohammed found him guilty on counts 1 and 3 which bordered on non-disclosure of assets, but discharged Jennifer on counts 2 and 4 on the grounds that the amended charge was not served on her properly in line with the law.
Alabh was sentenced to two years each on counts 1 and 3 for failure to make full disclosure of assets contrary to section 27 (1) & (3)(a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act 2004 and punishable under Section 273)(c) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act 2004.
Alabh and his wife, Jennifer were first arraigned on May 16, 2018 and re-arraigned on June 18, 2019 by the EFCC on four count charges bordering on failure to make full disclosure of assets, to which they pleaded “not guilty”.
In the course of the trial, prosecution counsel, I. Agwu called several witnesses and presented several documents in court.
In his judgment, Justice Mohammed said that the prosecution established that the convict did not fully disclose his assets in the Asset Declaration form he filled at the EFCC. Against his declaration, the court found out that he was one of the Directors and majority shareholder of Ashford Consult and Events Nig. Ltd.
