A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Gwagwalada, has sentenced a fake senator, Tom Makwe, to two years imprisonment for swindling a Spanish of 47,082 euros.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had arraigned the convict on two counts of intent to defraud over the internet.
He pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for leniency.
Delivering judgement, Justice Aliyu Shafa, also gave him the option of a fine of N5 million.
Shafa ordered that the N30 million, and 1,300 dollars recovered from the convict be forfeited to the victim, Maria Del Rosario San Jose Garces, through the Spanish embassy in Nigeria and evidence of forfeiture be filed with the registrar of the court within two weeks.
He said that the items recovered from the convict, which include one black Camry 2017 model car, a Samsung S23, an Apple iPhone 13 cellphone and an HP EliteBook, would be forfeited to the government and the proceeds of the sale would be remitted to the victim through the Spanish embassy in Nigeria.
Earlier, the convict, in his plea for mercy, told the court that he was sincerely sorry for his misconduct and bad character.
“I am a changed person and plead with the court to tamper with justice with mercy. I will never have anything to do with internet fraud again,” he pleaded.
The defence counsel, Adaji Abel, in support of the allocations by the convict, pleaded with the court to tamper with justice with mercy.
Abel said that the convict was a first-time offender, had cooperated with EFCC investigation, made restitution and had provided useful information to the investigator to arrest other criminal fraudsters.
The prosecution counsel, Deborah Adamu-Eteh, told the court that the convict between Dec. 12, 2021, and Nov. 12, 2022, with intent to defraud over the internet, pretended to be Fahad Tonny Makwe, Bryan and Senator Tompolo.
Adamu-Eteh said that the convict claimed to be a white man, a diplomatic solicitor, with a phone number of +34613208672.
She said that the convict in that assumed character obtained the sum of 47,082 euros from Maria Del Rosario San Jose Garces, a citizen of Spain, through the Bitcoin wallet address that the convict created.
She said that the convict also, between Jan. 13, 2023, and Feb. 3, 2023, obtained the total sum of $9,853 from his victim, a Spanish citizen.
The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 321 of the Penal Code and was punishable under Section 324 of the same Act.
The prosecutor had earlier told the court that the convict had restituted the sum of N30 million, 1,300 dollars, one black Camry 2017 model car, Samsung S 23, an Apple iphone 13 and HP elitebook.
She prayed to the court that the money and instruments recovered from the convict be forfeited to the government through the EFCC.
