The Nation Newspaper

Tag: convicts

  • $2.07m cash smuggling: Court convicts two Lebanese

    A FEDERAL High Court in Lagos has convicted two Lebanese, Hassan Rmaiti and Talal Hammoud, who were arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Lagos on November 26 with $2,073,160.

    Justice Okechukwu Okeke, ordered that the convicts should forfeit $25,310, being 25 per cent of the undeclared sum, to the Federal Government.

    A statement by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the Lebanese were guilty of violating the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011.

    The statement reads: “While Hassan Rmaiti was arrested with $1,971,920, Talal Hammoud was caught with $101,240. The convicts were on their way to Lebanon when they were arrested for failure to declare the money to Customs at the airport as required under section 12 of the foreign exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provision) Act cap F34 Laws of the Federation of Nigerian 2004 and section 2(3) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011.

    “The offence is punishable under section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

    “The one count charge against Hammoud reads: That you Talal Hammoud on or about the 7th of November, 2012 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court while transporting in cash the sum of $101,240.00 from Nigeria to Lebanon failed to declare to the Nigerian Customs Service the said amount of $101,240.00 as required under section 12 of the foreign exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provision) Act cap F34 Laws of the Federation of Nigerian 2004 and section 2(3) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (Pr0hibition) Act ) 2011.”

  • Court convicts man caught with $7.05m cash

    •To forfeit 25% of undeclared cash

     

    A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday convicted a 25-year old man, Abubakar Tijjani Sheriff, charged with false declaration under the Money Laundering Law.

    Sheriff was arrested by security operatives on September 27 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on his way to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for declaring less than the cash he had on him.

    He declared $4.500million to Customs officials, but he was found to possess $7.05million when he was searched.

    He was arraigned yesterday before Justice C. J. Anieke, on a one-count charge and was accused of violating the provisions of Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provision) Act Cap F34, laws of Nigeria, 2004 and 2(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2011, offence punishable under Section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011.

    Sheriff pleaded guilty to the charge and appealed to the court for leniency.

    Justice Anieke convicted Sheriff. He was not sentenced to any term of imprisonment, but was ordered to forfeit part of the money.

    The judge ordered that he forfeits 25 per cent of the excess of what he actually declared – estimated at $637, 631, – to the government.

    The judge, in considering his plea for clemency and the information that the funds were not proceeds of crime, ordered the prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to release to the convict the rest of the money after the deduction.

    He said Sheriff was a first time offender and that his incarceration since his arrest was “enough eye opener.”

    Prosecution lawyer Aliyu Yusuf said after Sheriff’s arrest, the funds were deposited in a GT Bank account for safe-keeping.

    He urged the court to convict Sheriff as charged, having pleaded guilty.

    Sheriff’s lawyer Obafemi Ogundare prayed the court to be lenient with his client and temper justice with mercy.

    He told the court that the money found on his client was contributed by 20 traders, who wanted the convict to help them buy cheap goods from Dubai.

    He said the traders voluntarily went to EFCC office to claim ownership of the money on learning that Sheriff had been apprehended.

    Ogundare further told the court that the money involved was not proceed of crime and that there was no intention to deliberately commit crime.

    He urged the court to order the forfeiture of the 25 percent of undeclared amount as required by law.

     

     

     

  • FRSC convicts 19 traffic offenders in Akwa Ibom

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) yesterday said 19 traffic offenders in Akwa Ibom State have been convicted.

    Corps Commander Fidelis Osakwe gave the breakdown of the arrest made after the sitting of the commission’s traffic mobile court in Uyo, the state capital.

    Osakwe said 29 traffic offenders were arrested by the command and 19 were convicted. Five were given the option to fix the defects on their vehicles.

    He said: “During yesterday session of the traffic mobile court, the court made 29 arrests, 19 of the arrested traffic violators were convicted, five were given the option to go fix the defects identified with their vehicles immediately while there were 5 outstanding cases.”

    On the fate of those convicted, the FRSC Corps Commander said: “They are either send to jail or asked to pay an option of fine to the court. Once they pay their fine, they are warned to be of good behaviour otherwise they have terms of imprisonment to serve.”

    Osakwe said the command was doing everything to reduce crashes on the road.

    He said: “For instance, we hold town hall meeting with tricycles operators popularly known as KEKE NAPEP because of their large numbers. They are very critical proportion of road users in Akwa Ibom State.

    “So, it is very important that we educate them. On a bi-monthly basis we meet them to see how we can encourage them to form solid unions and be able to articulate issues with government because their operation matters to everybody domiciled in Akwa Ibom state.”