Zamfara House of Assembly member sentenced four years for N31m fraud

Zamfara State High Court sitting in Gusau has sentenced a serving member of the House of Assembly, Lawali Dogonkade (representing Kauran-Namoda Council), four years over N31 million fraud.

Dogonkade, who was arraigned yesterday by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a four-count charge of conferring corrupt advantage on himself, admitted guilt before Justice Bello Shinkafi, which led to his immediate conviction by the court.

Spokesperson to the ICPC, Rasheedat Okoduwa, disclosed this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

According to Okoduwa, Dogonkade was accused of using his position to confer corrupt advantage upon himself in a N31,290,000 contract meant for the supply of medical equipment to the state government, in violation of sections 10, 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Counsel to ICPC, Mashkur Salisu, in one of the counts, told the court that the convict received N4.5 million from the managing director of Madaci Pharmacy, Mr. Hamisu Jibril, as percentage for the supply of medical equipment contract awarded by the state government.

Okoduwa further disclosed that counsel to the convict, Abubakar Junaidu, had earlier argued on the propriety of the charge before the court, saying that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier charged the accused before the Federal High Court in Gusau.

But the trial judge overruled his argument. Shortly after, the convict entered into a guilty plea.

Junaidu then pleaded with the court to be lenient with his client considering that he was a first time offender with a large family and dependents.

Following his guilty plea, counsel to the commission urged the court to convict him in line with the provisions of 274 (2) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.

The court thereupon convicted the accused person as charged and sentenced him to four years or payment of N30,000 fine on each of the counts totalling N120,000.