An Abuja High Court has convicted and sentenced two persons for impersonation and making a false statement in a case of alleged criminal diversion of N18.6 billion.
The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) had levelled the allegation against a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, and a director in the FCT Treasury Department, Mr Ibrahim Bomai.
The accused persons, Salihu Dauda and Nsa Edet, were, however, arraigned before the court for allegedly impersonating ICPC officials.
Delivering judgment in the case on Monday, Justice Danlami Senchi sentenced the accused persons to 12 months imprisonment or pay a fine of N250,000 each.
According to the judge, the accused persons have been sentenced to serve as a deterrent to criminals who specialise in blackmailing public officials with the sole aim of extortion.
Dauda and Edet were also accused of making a false statement, claiming that the former Minister of the FCT and the director willfully diverted and criminally misappropriated N18.6bn belonging to the Federal Capital Territory Administration in 2015.
