The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission announced on Saturday that it has secured the conviction of a medical doctor, Dr. Geraldine Orok, over a N127 million fraud case.
According to a statement shared by the anti-graft agency on its X handle, the conviction was handed down by Justice Rosemary Oghoghorie of the Federal High Court in Calabar, Cross River State.
Orok was prosecuted by the Uyo Directorate of the EFCC on a 12-count charge bordering on forgery and fund diversion amounting to N127 million.
She was subsequently sentenced to seven years in prison.
One of the charges against her reads, “That you, Dr Geraldine Orok Ita ‘F’ on or about the 6th day of November 2014, in Calabar, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did make a forged document to wit: FORM CAC 10 (Annual Return For A Small Company) in respect of Sharpnet Concept Limited, dated 06/11/2014, purported to have been signed by Mrs Rose Orok Ita (a Director in Sharpnet Concept Limited), with the intent that the document may be acted upon as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2) (C) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M 17 of the Revised Edition (Law of the Federation of Nigeria) and Punishable under Section 1 (2) (c) of the same Act.”
Another charge stated, “That you, Dr Geraldine Orok Ita ‘F’ on or about 14/02/2019, in Calabar, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did take possession of the sum of Forty-Five Million Naira (#45,000,000) through Bank Account No: 2027011283 domiciled in First Bank with Account Name: Rok Projects Limited, paid by the University of Calabar (UNICAL) for the project executed by ROK Projects Limited/Sharpnet Limited when you reasonably ought to know that the money was part of the proceeds of crime to wit: forgery and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16 (3) of the same Act.”
Despite pleading “not guilty” to the charges when the trial began in 2019, the court found her guilty after the prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin, presented compelling evidence and called several witnesses.
Justice Oghoghorie, convinced by the weight of evidence, found Ita guilty and sentenced her to seven years in prison.
The EFCC revealed that Ita’s troubles began in 2019 following a petition submitted by two directors of Sharpnet Concept Limited and ROK Project Limited.
The petitioners alleged that Ita had forged documents to remove them from the companies’ records, fraudulently altering company documents in her favor. Ita allegedly claimed to be the second wife of the late Engr. Orok Okonkon Ita, who passed away in 2004.
The petition further alleged that Ita appointed a new company secretary on November 6, 2014, changed the registered address of the companies to No. 25, Uyo Street, off Market Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and manipulated the re-allotment and return of shares.
Following the court’s ruling, Ita was remanded to the Nigeria Correctional Centre to serve her sentence.
