A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja on Friday sentenced a 39-year-old carpenter,  Bassey Okon, to six months imprisonment for breach of trust and cheating.

Okon, who resides at Guzape village, Abuja, was sentenced on a two-count charge of criminal breach of trust and cheating after he had pleaded guilty and begged for leniency.

The Judge, Alhaji Inuwa Maiwada, however, gave the convict an option to pay N10, 000 as fine.

He also ordered Okon to pay N400, 000 as compensation to the complainant.

Maiwada said that the punishment would have been stiffer if the convict had not saved the court the rigour of protracted prosecution.

The Prosecuting Counsel, Mrs Ijeoma Ukagha, had earlier told the court that on Feb. 27, one Andrew Joesph of Karmo Village, Abuja reported the matter at the Life Camp Police Station.

Ukagha said that sometime in 2011, Okon deceitfully collected N500, 000 from the complainant under the pretence of lending the money to his friend.

She said Okon collected the money from Joesph and promised to pay back the said N500, 000 to the complainant.

Ukagha told the court that Okon deliberately refused to pay the N500, 000 until sometime in 2012 after much pressure, he managed to pay N100, 000 to the complainant.

She said that after the payment of N100, 000, Okon intentionally and dishonestly ran away to an unknown destination and that all efforts made by the complainant to reach him proved abortive.

The counsel said until sometime in 2019, Okon started making love advance to a woman not knowing she is the complainant’s wife.

The prosecutor disclosed that on Feb. 27 the complainant’s wife traced Okon to Kado village after he had promised to hang out with her at about 7:30 p.m.

Ukagha said that in the process the complainant made arrangement with the police and Okon was immediately arrested.

The prosecutor said that Okon’s offences contravened Sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

NAN