ARMSGATE: COURT SENTENCES RETIRED AIR VICE MARSHAL OMENYI TO 21 YEARS IN PRISON

Penpushing further reports that, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba while delivering judgment, noted that the explanations given by the defence in the course of the trial were not credible enough, and that the court was satisfied that the prosecution proved its case beyond every reasonable doubt.

The trial judge held that: “Having fully reflected on the above defence as well as evaluated the evidence before me, as a matter of fact, I agree with prosecution that the defence is a sham.

“What motivation does the defendant have of spending his own personal funds towards the execution of contracts awarded by the Nigerian Air Force on behalf of the contractor? When the proper thing to do is get the Nigeria Air Force to expend the funds on behalf of the contractor to ensure the project is done’.

“One indisputable thing is that, by the state of law and the entire circumstances of the case, the money received by the defendant as played out in count one, two and three, by themselves raised criminal abilities against the defendants. I do not believe that the explanations given by the defence to the charges are credible.”

Penpushing also reports that, the court further held that, in the final analysis the funds received by the defendants as contained in counts one to three are kickbacks in the contracts awarded by the Nigerian Airforce.

 “Any way it is looked at, either as a direct bribe or kickbacks, or as a share of revenue or profits with a business partner, so long as the source of the funds is from the Nigerian Airforce and linked to the execution of contracts of Nigerian Airforce, I am of the view that the monies as contained in count one to three are rooted in corruption.”

Penpushing further reports that Justice Dimgba thus found the accused “guilty” on the three counts, and sentenced him to seven years in prison, to run concurrently, and also ordered Huzee Nigeria Limited, “being a corporate entity” to forfeit the sum of N60 million in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) to the Federal Government.

The judge  emphasized, “I further order that the second defendant be compulsory wound up by the federal government,” and advised  public officers, that “any public official with any duty to do any contract awarded by a government agency with a contractor, should at all times operate at an arm’s length with the said contractor.”