Appeal Court Upholds Two-Year Jail Sentence Against Abia Monarch

The Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, Imo State capital, has upheld the fine of three million naira (N3,000, 000.00) or two years’ imprisonment, in case of default in payment slammed on Eze Chima Bob Ubiaru of Ipupe Autonomous Community in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State by an Umuahia High Court about three years ago.
Delivering judgment in Owerri on an appeal filed by the monarch in suit no: CA/OW/85C/2017 between Eze Bob Ubiaru and the Federal Government, the presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Adenyangtso having examined all available documents bordering on the matter, dismissed the appeal as lacking in merit and upheld the ruling and orders of the trial court.
Justice Adenyangtso, in the judgment that lasted for almost one hour, also dismissed a cross-appeal filed by the appellant/respondent, the Federal Government, challenging the amount of fine and years of sentence handed the convicted monarch, saying it lacked merit.
The Tide gathered that the appellant was convicted by the Umuahia High Court presided over by Justice Agwu Umah Kalu on September 29, 2016, following proof allegations of embezzlement of over N60 million belonging to Ipupe community.
The appellate court agreed with the trial court’s order on EzeUbiaru to release the sum of N10 million, which the convict put in a time/fixed deposit account in his name with the First Bank Plc immediately to accredited representatives of the community.