The Calabar Division of the Court of Appeal has sentenced and jailed Dasel Nanjwan, a staff member of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) for holding a private interest in a N342million contract scam.
The judgement, according to a statement by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), reversed the acquittal earlier handed down to Mr Nanjwan by the Cross River State High Court in Calabar.
Mr Nanjwan was a member of the Technical Committee on the side of the federal government in a negotiation with General Electric (GE) Africa, on investments in the Calabar Free Trade Zone as well as the owner and sole signatory to the account of Kwop-ri Services, the company that won the contract.
He was prosecuted by the ICPC which arraigned him before a Cross River State High Court in Calabar.
The judge, Emily Ibok, presided over the trial involving five charges, including “knowingly” holding a private interest in a N342 Million contract connected with an office in which he is employed.
ICPC said the offence contravened section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
He was earlier discharged and acquitted of all charges levelled against him on May 19, 2019, in a judgement delivered at the High Court in Calabar by trial judge.
Dissatisfied with the judgement, ICPC filed an appeal at the Calabar Division of the Court of Appeal.
Acquittal reversed
However, in a unanimous judgement, the Court of Appeal set aside the decision of the lower court and sentenced the defendant to three years imprisonment, according to a statement issued by the ICPC spokesperson Azuka Ogugua on Monday.
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