KINGSLEY EBERE
A 23-year old petrol station manager, Victor Olamide Okuntimmehun, has opted to go to prison than to remit 8,192 litres of Premium Motor Spirit supplied to him to sell by the management of AP Filling Station in Lagos State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened on 1st June, 2024 at AP Filling Station located at Community Road, Ijegun area of Lagos State, where Okuntimmehun was employed as Station Manager.
He has been arrested and charged for deliberately refusing to remit the money in question and converting it to his own personal use. The suspect, Okuntimmehun, remained adamant and refused to remit the money.
According to the Police, the suspect was employed as the manager of the station. He started making sales and was remitting the money until recently he refused to remit the money he made from sales and as well refused to give reasons he chose to do so.
The matter was reported to the Police at Isheri Oshun Division. Okuntimmehun was arrested and and detained at the station for interrogation over his alleged conduct.
During interrogation, he admitted that he had sold the products and did not want to remit the money. The Police asked him to know why he refused to remit the money, but he declined to do so.
The Police warned him about the consequences of his action and that he will be charged before the Court for the alleged criminal offence. But he replied that he didn’t mind and he will not remit the money to the company.
He was consequently charged before the Ejigbo Magistrate Court for the alleged offence, which attracts several years of imprisonment.
He pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned.
The prosecutor, Supol Benedict Aigbokhan, then asked the Court to give a date for hearing since he pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that he actually committed the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, K.A. Ariyo, granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment while addresses will be verified by the Court.
The matter was adjourned till 2nd July, 2024, for mention while the defendant was remanded in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when he will perfect his bail conditions