Businessman Bags Two Year Imprisonment for Dud Cheque

An FCT High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice O. A. Adeniyi on Tuesday May 20, 2014 convicted and sentenced one Mustapha Suleiman to two years  imprisonment without an option of fine for issuance of dud cheque. His company, Caliphate Global Investment Limited was fined one hundred thousand naira (N100, 000.00).

The convict was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in 2009 on one count charge of fraud and issuance of dud cheque. He allegedly bought a plot of land from Alhaji Samaila Shehu (now late), for the sum of thirty one million naira (N31, 000,000.00). He paid the sum of N4, 500,000.00 (four million, five hundred thousand naira) and promised to pay the balance of N26, 500,000.00 (twenty-six million, five hundred thousand naira).

 In a bid to offset the balance, Suleiman issued a cheque which, upon presentation, was dishonoured as a result of insufficient fund in his account.   

Justice Adeniyi found the accused guilty as charged and sentenced him to two years imprisonment.

The charge reads: “That you Caliphate Global Investment Limited and Alhaji Mustapha Suleiman being the Managing Director and Chief  Executive Officer of Caliphate Global Investment Limited sometime in February 2009 in Abuja Judicial Division of  the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory with the knowledge that you had insufficient funds in your account issued to one Alhaji Samaila Shehu Mani an Oceanic International Bank Plc cheque dated 16^th March, 2009 for the sum of twenty six million, five hundred thousand naira which said cheque when presented for payment within three months of issuance was dishonoured due to insufficient fund in your account and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (b) of the Dishonoured Cheque (Offences) Act Cap D11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under section 1 (1) (b)( i) (ii) of the same Act”.