A Jos High Court on Monday, ordered one Illiya Ibrahim, 42, to refund N55.9 million, embezzled from a Jos- based communication firm, Jurassic Communication Limited.
The firm had, through its counsel, Mr Solomon Umoh, SAN, sued Ibrahim before Justice Daniel Longji of High Court Four, demanding for the refund of N86.9 million allegedly embezzled by the convict.
Justice Longji, in his judgment held that a prima facie case had been established against Ibrahim.
.“By the evidence before me, it is clear that the defendant deliberately defrauded his employers.
”In his testimonies, the defendant (Ibrahim), claimed he had never been queried no found wanting in the cause of his duty and had been keeping to the company’s rules and regulations of making daily remittances and not selling its products on credit.
`But he (defendant) made a somersault, when he contradicted himself by admitting that he was yet to collect some monies from some of his customers who owe him.
“Not only that one Mrs Babalola was said to have refunded One Million Naira on Oct. 14, 2009 as part of what she owes the defendant (Ibrahim). What a contradiction to his earlier claims, the Judge ruled.
The Judge said; “I have carefully considered the evidences and facts placed before me and have painfully scrutinized the exhibits, and come to the conclusion that there was embezzlement committed by the defendant.
Longji however, noted that what he could not establish was the N30 million alleged to have been embezzled between May and June 2009, which shot the total defrauded amount to N86.9 million.
“Since that amount couldn’t be substantiated by the Plaintiff (Jurassic Communications Ltd), I will deduct it from the total amount, which leaves us with N56.9 million..
“Again, on deducting the N1 million recovered from Mrs Babalalo by the company on Oct. 14, 2009, the total amount to be refunded is N55.9 million, ’’ the judge declared.
Longji, however, awarded a cost of N150, 000 to the Plaintiff’ Counsel for their 33 appearances in the 10-year-old litigation.
The company urged the court to compel him to refund the money with 18 per cent bank interest and another 10 per cent of the judgment amount from the date of judgment.
Ibrahim, who was a Sales Representative of the communication firm between February 2008 and October 2009, has been on trial for alleged embezzlement the of N86.9 million belonging to the company.
(NAN)
