AISHA ABUBAKAR
A 45-year old man, Kingsley James, has reportedly chosen to spend additional two years in prison custody than to refund the sum of N5.5m, which he allegedly stole from a client over sale of property in Kaduna State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the Kaduna State Magistrates Court sentenced James to 30 months imprisonment on the two-count charge of theft and obtaining money by false pretences after he pleaded guilty.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. Ibrahim Emmanuel, sentenced James to 15 months imprisonment on each of the two-count charge with an option of N100,000 fine and further ruled that the sentences should run concurrently.
However, the Court also ordered the convict to restitute the sum of N5.5 million to the complainant, Mr. David Zamani and ordered that in the event that the convict fails to restitute the complainant, he shall serve additional two years prison term.
The convicted James insisted that he would not refund the money rather he would spend the years in custody and keep the money to himself.
The Prosecutor, Inspector Chidi Leo, had earlier told the Court that the convict committed the offences sometimes on 15th February, 2021, about 2:00pm at Barnawa, Kaduna, by obtaining the sum of N5.5 million from the complainant under the pretence of selling an uncompleted bungalow building to him.
However, he did not sell the building to the complainant but converted the money to his personal use, and the offences contravened Sections 217 and 287 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced accordingly but he chose to spend the years in custody instead of refunding the money to the complainant.