Supreme Court Affirms N240m Fraud Conviction of Senator Albert Bassey

The decision of the five-man panel of the apex court delivered by Justice Stephen Jonah Adah, having reviewed the appeal of the appellant, came to the conclusion that the decision of the Court of Appeal is affirmed but the order of restitution which the High Court made but was ignored by the Court of Appeal was restored.

“The order of this court is that the conviction and sentencing imposed by the lower court on the 23 day of June 2023 on the appellant is hereby affirmed but the order of the lower court avoiding the order of restitution given by the trial court did not follow the law, so it is revised and the right order is to nullify same and thereby the restitution of sum of N204 million made by the trial court is restored”, he said.

Bassey`s journey to the prison started following his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, led by prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho SAN before Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State for receiving bribes of 12 cars worth N254 million as Commissioner for Finance in Akwa Ibom State.

He was convicted on all seven-count charges against him and sentenced to seven years in prison for each charge, totalling 42 years on Thursday, December 1, 2022.

However, the defendant proceeded to the appellate court where the three-man panel led by Justice Raphael Chikwe Agbo upheld the conviction but with an option of fine before the apex court struck out the judgment in parts.