The Federal High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, has sentenced Dr. Geraldine Orok Ita to seven years in prison for a N127,686,594.87 fraud case.
Justice Rosemary Oghoghorie convicted Ita on a 12-count charge of forgery and financial misappropriation following a prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The case began in 2019 when Sharpnet Concept Limited and ROK Project Limited accused Ita of falsifying company documents to remove the original directors. She reportedly claimed to be the second wife of the late Engr. Orok Okonkon Ita to seize control of the firms.
Investigations revealed that Ita illegally appointed a new company secretary, altered company records, and manipulated share allotments to her advantage.
One of the charges read: "That you, Dr. Geraldine Orok Ita, on or about November 6, 2014, in Calabar, forged a document purporting to be the annual return of Sharpnet Concept Limited, intending for it to be acted upon as genuine."
The court also found her guilty of money laundering, particularly regarding a N45 million payment from the University of Calabar, which she unlawfully diverted