By Ayodele Popoola

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A Magistrates’ Court sitting in Akure has sentenced a 34-year-old bookseller,  Olaitan Ogunleye, to four years imprisonment  over N7.6 million fraud.

The Magistrate, N.T. Aladejana found Olaitan guilty of the fraud charge  against him and convicted him accordingly.

The convict was  arraigned by the police on May 21, 2018 and had since been granted bail in the sum of N3,000,000 with two sureties on the agreement that the matter would be settled out of court.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges at the time of his arraignment.

According to the prosecution, Olaitan, on March 22, 2019  defrauded his employer, Learn African Plc, Akure Branch of N7,641,051.

The prosecutor, Abdulateef Suliaman told the court that the convict sold some educational books entrusted to him  and fraudulently converted its proceeds worth N7.6million to his personal use without the consent of the employer.

The offence is  contrary to Sections 390(3) and 383 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34 Vol II Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.

Lawyer for the defendant, O.O Otitoloju pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his client.

Magistrate Aladejana, in his ruling, convicted Olaitan and sentenced him to four years imprisonment.

He, however gave him an option of N7.6million, which he ordered the defendant should pay to the book company he defrauded.