Court sentences sales rep to four months imprisonment for defrauding employer

An Upper Area Court Gwagwalada, Abuja, on Wednesday sentenced a 29-year-old sales representative, Solomon Gamble to four months imprisonment for defrauding his employer of N97,300.

The convict, who resides in Gwako village, Gwagwalada, is charged with criminal breach of trust and cheating.

The Judge, Sani Umar, sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty, and begged the court for leniency.

Umar in his ruling ordered the convict to pay a fine of N10,000 for each offence, or in default, serve a jail term of two months for each offence.

He said that the sentencing would run concurrently.

“The reason for the sentencing is because the defendant has shown remorse and promised to pay back the money,” the judge explained.

According to him, the sentence will serve as a deterrent to anyone who shares similar ideas with the convict.

Umar granted the request of Prosecution Counsel, Abdullahi Tanko, that compensation should be awarded to the complainant.

Umar said that the convict could appeal to the FCT High Court within 30 days of the judgment if he was not satisfied.

The convict pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, adding that the money was used to take care of his aged parents.

He promised to pay back the money in instalments.

Earlier, Tanko had told the court that the complainant, Joel Alabi, of Skola Summit Hotel, Gwagwalada FCT, reported the matter at the police station on June 11.

The prosecutor explained that Gamble was a sales representative attached to the hotel’s bar.

He said that during the hotel’s audit, it was discovered that the convict made unusual transfers which amounted to N97,300.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened the provision of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

Tanko therefore, prayed the court to award a compensation of N97,300 to the nominal complainant.

(NAN)