An Indian national, Chandra Singh, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja for procurement fraud totaling N816,361,386.75.
The conviction followed a case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with Justice I.O. Ijelu presiding over the proceedings.
Singh had been brought before the court on November 24, 2022, facing 19 charges related to bribery and the retention of stolen property.
The EFCC accused him of misappropriating funds while employed at African Natural Resources and Mines Limited.
Specifically, the charges claimed that Singh had influenced his employer to award contracts to companies he was associated with, namely CVN Engineering Limited and Neo Paints Nigeria Limited.
The EFCC alleged that Singh’s actions involved securing a contract worth N365,757,457 for CVN Engineering and another contract worth N243,141,638.75 for Neo Paints. Additionally, Singh was accused of illegally retaining $4,150, belonging to his employer.
During the trial, Singh denied the charges, pleading “not guilty” to all counts. The EFCC’s legal team, led by Bilikisu Buhari, presented testimony from nine witnesses and a range of documentary evidence, building a strong case against the defendant.
Justice Ijelu, upon reviewing the evidence, found Singh guilty on multiple counts. As a result, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, without the option of a fine. The court also mandated that Singh pay N345 million in restitution to the affected company.
This conviction adds to the growing list of successes for the EFCC in combating financial crime. Between January 2 and August 2, 2024, the judiciary recorded a total of 2,398 financial crime convictions, as reported by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Motonmori Kekere-Ekun.
She credited the progress to the expertise of the EFCC and other relevant stakeholders, particularly the efforts of the Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee (COTRIMCO), which is chaired by Justice Suleiman Galadima (Rtd.).
This committee played a key role in speeding up the prosecution of corruption and financial crime cases in Nigeria.
