The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Saturday, said it has secured the conviction of a medical doctor, Dr. Geraldine Orok, for N127m fraud.
The EFCC announced on Saturday that Ita was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison by a Federal High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, presided over by Justice Rosemary Oghogho-rie.
Ita faced a 12-count charge of forgery and diversion of funds totalling N127 million.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Dr. Geraldine Orok Ita ‘F,’ on or about the 6th day of November 2014, in Calabar, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did make a forged document to wit: FORM CAC 10 (Annual Return For A Small Company), in respect of Sharpnet Concept Limited, dated 06/11/2014, purported to have been signed by Mrs. Rose Orok Ita (a Director in Sharpnet Concept Limited), with the intent that the document may be acted upon as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2) (C) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M 17 of the Revised Edition (Law of the Federation of Nigeria) and punishable under Section 1 (2) (C) of the same Act.”
Another reads, “That you, Dr Geraldine Orok Ita ‘F’ on or about 14/02/2019, in Calabar, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did take possession of the sum of Forty-Five Million Naira (#45,000,000) through Bank Account No: 2027011283 domiciled in First Bank with Account Name: Rok Projects Limited, paid by the University of Calabar (UNICAL) for the project executed by ROK Projects Limited/Sharpnet Limited when you reasonably ought to know that the money was part of the proceeds of crime to wit: forgery and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16 (3) of the same Act.”
According to the statement, Ita pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, prompting her trial that commenced in 2019.
“In the course of the trial, prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin, called witnesses and presented incontrovertible evidence. Convinced that the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt, Justice Oghogho-rie convicted and sentenced Ita to seven years imprisonment.
“Ita’s journey to Nigeria Correctional Centre commenced when the commission received a petition in 2019 from Sharpnet Concept Limited and ROK Project Limited initiated by two of its directors alleging that Geraldine Orok Ita forged and fraudulently altered the documents of the companies in favour of herself by removing the two initial directors from the companies’ records and claiming to be the second wife of Engr. Orok Okonkon Ita, who died in 2004,” the statement partly read.
The petitioners further disclosed that besides carrying out the fraudulent alterations, the convict appointed a new company secretary on November 6, 2014, and changed the registered address of the companies at No. 25, Uyo Street, off Market Road, Port Harcourt, River State, and made re-allotments and return of allotments of shares.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
