Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of a Lagos Special Offences Court, yesterday, sentenced a businessman, Shola Henry to two years imprisonment for stealing N20 million.
  
The judge found Henry guilty of the offence filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
  
The anti-graft agency had arraigned Henry on six-count amended charge, dated August 8, 2020.
  
Henry was alleged to have defrauded one Anyasi Matthew of the sum of N20 million in the guise that he was going to invest same in Forex with 20 per cent profit in 30 days.
   
His offence according to the prosecution is contrary to Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
 
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
 
During the trial, the prosecution team led by Ahmed Yerima, called five witnesses and tendered several documents as exhibits, which were admitted against the defendant and his company.
     
In his defence, during trial, the convict told the court that he was a middleman in a cryptocurrency business.
 
He claimed that the cryptocurrency crashed sometime in 2018 and that one Abiodun Semawon Henry, his brother, whom he does not know his whereabouts now, was the lead trader.
 
But in her judgment, Justice Taiwo held that based on the evidence before the court, the allegation of obtaining by false pretence was not proved by the prosecution.
  
Subsequently, she discharged and acquitted the defendant on counts one to five, which border on the offence of obtaining by false pretence.
   
The judge, however, held that the ‘so-called cryptocurrency’ business was nothing but a Ponzi scheme. 
 
She further held that the prosecution proved the charge of stealing and so found him guilty as charged in count six, and sentenced him to two years in prison.
  
The defendant’s counsel, Adeola Olukosi in his plea of mercy for his client prayed the court for an option of fine.
   
Granting his prayer, Justice Taiwo gave him an option of fine for N2 million and ordered him to pay restitution of N20 million to the victim. 
   
His company was also convicted and fined N1 million, while the court gave him one year to make restitution to the victim.