Two Brothers Get Two Years Jail Term for N12m Fraud

Symbol of justice

A Kano High Court presided over by Justice Yusuf Ubale, Wednesday sentenced Audu Haruna and Sani Haruna, to two years imprisonment each with an option of N100,000 for allegedly conspiring to sell 2,430 bags of red beans belonging  one Murtala Sanusi, and refusing to pay him its value put at about N12 million.

In addition to the sentence, the judge also directed that the two brothers, who have been tenants to the complainant’s father for about 20 years at Layin Alasawa, Kurna in Kano, should compensate Sanusi with the sum of N7,140,000.

The brothers received a total sum of N12 million between 2007 and 2008 from Sanusi in order to purchase 2,500 bags of red beans which they did, and the beans was to be kept in Sanusi’s stores, while others were kept in Malam Halliru stores, who incidentally is a friend of Sanusi’s father at Dawanau Grains Market.

The key to the stores were in the custody of the brothers (accused) and that’s how they sold all the stored beans without the consent of the owner and could not explain the proceeds of sale.

The accused claimed to have sold 2,400 bags of beans at the cost of N2, 975 per bag totalling about N7, 140,000, claiming that 70 bags were destroyed by pesticides and 30 bags were sent to the brother’s nephew in Ibadan the Oyo State capital for sale.
When the Sarkin Kasuwa, Alhaji Uba Ahmed, asked for the beans, they said the beans were sold on credit that the money would be paid later.

The  two-count charge read: “You Audu Haruna and Sani Haruna, sometimes in 2007 in Kano within the judicial division of the High Court of Justice of Kano State did conspire amongst yourselves to commit a felony to wit: criminal misappropriation contrary to section 97 of the Penal Code Law.”

while the second count  read that: “You Audu Haruna and Sani Haruna, sometimes in 2007 in Kano within the judicial division of the High Court of Justice of Kano State dishonestly misappropriated the sum of N10,761,400.00 being value of 2,430 bags of red beans belonging to Murtala Sanusi that was kept in your possession and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 309 of the Penal Code Law.”

Sequel to testimony from the accused and the provided witnesses, the brothers were proved guilty beyond reasonable doubt and were sentenced accordingly.
Based on this, the judge, therefore, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody till they fulfilled the conditions for fine otherwise, they serve the prison sentence.

-culled from thisday