The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has sentenced a travel agent, Babawale Ponle, to two years’ imprisonment for misappropriating N10m worth of airline tickets.
The Judgement was passed by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo
Ponle, who is the Managing Director of Travel Doctor Limited, was arraigned by the EFCC on four counts bordering on stealing and issuance of dud cheques.
NEWSNAIJA learned that Ponle was given the tickets on credit by a travel company, Sound Travel Services Limited.
Samuel Daji, the prosecutor, stated that Ponle committed the offence between March and December 2012.
According to the Anti-graft Agency, Ponle issued two dud cheques to Sound Travel Services Limited in the sum of N3m and N7m.
The offences contravened Section 285(7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015 and Section 1 of the Dishonoured Cheques Offences Act.
During his defence, Ponle, however, told the court that he sold the tickets on credit.
Justice Taiwo, delivering her judgement, noted that the prosecution proved that the N10m was diverted for personal use, found Ponle guilty of the charges.
The judge said, “This court is mindful of the fact that this case began from a business arrangement between the defendant and the complainant. However, the defendant, since 2013, failed to pay anything to the complainant. The court is satisfied that he used out of the N10m for his personal use.
To this fact, I hereby sentenced the defendant to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of N250, 000. On the two counts of issuance of dud cheques, I hereby sentence the defendant to one year in prison or a fine of N200, 000.”
However, the judge, noted that the court would not order compensation because the complainant had already been awarded one via a civil suit.