It was a case of running from frying pan to jump into the fire for a Nigerian fugitive, Walter Wagbatsoma when a Crown Court in Licester, United Kingdom, Thursday 17th January convicted him of Money Laundering. He was sentenced to Three and a half years in prison.
The convict was convicted in absentia last year by a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja alongside his company of fuel subsidy fraud.

He was also barred from being a company director for six years.
According to the Lincolnshire Police website, Wagbatsoma’s conviction in the UK, was based on investigation by Lincolnshire Police Economic Crime Unit under Operation Tarlac.

The investigation was said to have revealed that over £12m was stolen from public agencies, including hospital trusts, housing associations and councils in the United Kingdom.

The funds were then transferred to Wagbatsoma’s account in the United Kingdom.
The 47-year-old Nigerian was named as the 13th defendant convicted in the trial.

He was initially detained on a European arrest warrant in June 2016 while travelling through Germany, after he ran away from Nigeria while he was on bail while his Fuel subsidy fraud case was being tried

Shortly afterwards, he was extradited and charged with conspiring with others to launder the proceeds of fraud through his businesses in the United Kingdom