A Lagos State High Court in Ikeja sentenced a couple, Harry Uyanwanne and Kristen Uyanwanne, to 10 years in prison on Wednesday for using their church to defraud N52 million.
The court also ordered the deregistration and closure of Temple International Church, the church involved in the crime. The couple and the church were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ,EFCC, on seven counts related to theft and fraud. They were arraigned on February 25, 2020, and pleaded not guilty, leading to the commencement of their trial.
Delivering the judgment on Wednesday, Justice Mojisola Dada found the couple guilty as charged, stating that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
On the first count, the court sentenced both defendants to three years in prison. Harry Uyanwanne, the first defendant, was also sentenced to seven years on counts two through six. However, Kristen Uyanwanne, the second defendant, was acquitted on the seventh count.
“Using the name of God and church to defraud people, I order that the third convict should be deregistered and closed down,” she said.
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Justice Mojisola Dada ruled that the sentences would run concurrently and further ordered the closure of Temple International Church. She also directed the convicts to restitute N31 million to the nominal complainant within 60 days of the judgment.
The prosecution had argued that, in March 2016, the Uyanwannes unlawfully converted N10 million belonging to the late Mrs. Adeola Odemuyiwa for their personal use. The EFCC also claimed that the couple sold a property at Plot 32, Block 9, Magodo, Lagos, to Kingsley Atere for N42 million, falsely presenting that Harry Uyanwanne had authorization from the complainant to sell the property.
The offences were found to violate Section 1 (2) and (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, as well as Sections 278 and 285 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
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