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Tag: Money laundering

  • N2.1b laundering: Direct your probe at Dasuki, Jonathan – Dokpesi

    *Queries EFCC’s failure to question ex-President.
    *Court to rule Nov 12

     

    Businessman, Raymond Dokpesi has faulted the money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Dokpesi queried the exclusion of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan from EFCC’s probe of the allegation that he (Dokpesi) and his firm, Daar Investment and Holdings Company Limited were involved in the laundering of N2.1billion.

    The businessman, who is being tried with his firm, before the Federal High Court, Abuja also wondered why they were being prosecuted instead of the ex-National Security Adviser (NSA), Mohammed Dasuki, who is alleged to have laundered the money.

    Dokpesi’s argument is contained in a no-case submission adopted on Friday by his lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN).

    The case against Dokpesi and his firm, includes that they allegedly received N2.1b from the office of the National Security Adviser, under Sambo Dasuki, as payment for a “purported contract on presidential media initiative”.

    They are also accused of receiving the N2.1b from ONSA to prosecute the 2015 presidential media campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Adopting the no-case submission on Friday, Agabi, an ex-Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), argued that the prosecution’s case against his clients and evidence led so far are replete with contradictions and inconsistencies.

    Agabi argued that the prosecution failed to call vital witnesses such as Dasuki or former President Goodluck Jonathan whom he said his Dokpesi implicated in his statement.

    The ex-AGF said, “The money was paid by Col. Dasuki. His name is mentioned in the four counts of money laundering as the one who made the payment.

    “Therefore he is the one alleged to be laundering the funds. The money in counts one to four is not being laundered by the defendant. The launderer is Col. Dasuki.

    “So, if the launderer is Col. Dasuki, are we going to convict him behind him? We cannot convict him behind him.

    “Why is he not charged? His name is mentioned again and again in the charges.

    “Even if they are not going to charge him, they should have called him as a witness because it is his action that is in question here,” Agabi said

    ‎He equally noted that despite that Dokpesi implicated former President Jonathan, the anti-graft agency failed to interview him or call him as a witness.

    He said, “The 1st defendant (Dokpesi) in his statement implicated the former President. Witnesses testified that they did not interview the former President

    “The rules of the court is that once the statement of the defendant (Dokpesi’s statement) is tendered by the prosecution it becomes the case of the prosecution,” Agabi said.

    He argued that the prosecution failed to disclose ingredients of money laundering in count one to four.

    He contended that, for a transaction to constitute a money laundering offence, the money involved must be proceeds of crime.

    Agabi noted that, in the instant case, the money in the ONSA’s account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, from which his clients were paid, could not have been proceeds of crime.

    He argued that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against his clients to warrant their being called upon to enter defence.

    He argued that the charges were defective as they allegedly failed to disclose the ingredients of money laundering against his clients and were “riddled with inconsistencies from the head to the toes.”

    Agabi urged the court to dismiss the charge and discharge and acquit his clients.

    Responding, prosecuting lawyer, Oluwaleke Atolagbe urged the court to dismiss the no-case submission and order the defendants to enter their defence to the prosecution’s case.

    Atolagbe contended that the defendants’ submission, to the effect that Dokpesi should be held to account for any money laundering charge, was an admission that they committed the alleged crimes.

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    He argued that all the ingredients of the alleged offences were proved by the prosecution and all the necessary witnesses needed to prove the case were called.

    Atolagbe said the defence’s line of argument involving Dasuki’s roles was an admission that they committed the alleged crimes.

    He said for instance, the former Director of Finance and Administration of ONSA, Salisu Shuaibu, was called as the second prosecution witness.

    He noted that even though the charges before the case were not against Dasuki, the allegations of breach of trust, misappropriation and corruption leveled against the former NSA had been proved with the various witnesses called in the case.

    ‎Atolagbe added: “They said prosecution must prove breach of trust against Col. Dasuki. Even if that must be an element of the offence of money laundering, the evidence is enough to prove it

    “PW2 (Shuaibu) gave a very elaborate evidence of how he was instructed to just make payments without contract or any relationship.

    “Dasuki is not standing trial here. We don’t need to prove charge against Col. Dasuki here. He is being tried in another court. Even if that is what is required, we have proven it.

    “This is also an admission on their part that there is money laundering, so they should enter their defence.”

    Atolagbe faulted Agabi’s claim that the prosecution’s evidence was riddled with contradictions and inconsistencies in the charges.
    He said: “That cannot also stand, because money obtained in violation of Public Procurement Act, as admitted by the defendant, certainly cannot be legitimate.”

    Atolagbe asked the court “to direct the defendants to enter their defence” or enable them call witnesses, such as Dasuki and Jonathan, that they argued the prosecution failed to call.

    Trial judge, Justice John Tsoho adjourned to November 12 for ruling.

  • The absence of Justice Saliu of the Federal High Court in Lagos Monday stalled the trial of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chairman in Ondo State Clement Faboyede.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) arraigned him and the party’s 2015 campaign director in the state Modupe Adetokunbo for alleged money laundering.

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    Justice Saidu is said to be away for the annual judges’ conference in Abuja, which is held as a precursor to the new legal year.

    October 26 has been fixed for their trial.

    EFCC accused them of receiving N500million in cash from Owolanke Michael ahead of the 2015 general election.

    Faboyede was accused of making N500million cash payment to the Ondo PDP Election Committee.

    The prosecution said the defendants committed the offence on March 27, 2015, thereby contravening Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, punishable under Section 16(2).

    Faboyede and Adetokunbo pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned on June 29 and were granted bail for N50million each with one surety in like sum.

    The sureties, said the judge, must either be federal or state civil servants not below level 15 or landed property owners within the court’s jurisdiction.

    The sureties were directed to deposit the title documents and two passport sized photographs each at the court’s registry.

    The defendants were also ordered to deposit their international passports at the court’s registry while the prosecution was given a week to verify the sureties’ documents.

  • EFCC to call six witness as senator’s ‘money laundering’ trial begins

    THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said it will call six witnesses in the trial of Senator Peter Nwaoboshi for alleged money laundering.

    Two of the witnesses, Prince Kpokpogiri and Murtala Abubakar, testified before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday.

    Prosecuting counsel Wemimo Ogunde (SAN) told the judge that the prosecution would bring the remaining four witnesses within two days.

    Kpokpogiri, the first witness who runs the Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum, said he sent a petition to the EFCC after receiving an anonymous call and some documents at his Asaba, Delta State office.

    Kpokpogiri, who was led in evidence by Ogunde, said he was subsequently invited by the EFCC to Abuja to confirm the petition.

    Under cross-examination by defence counsel Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), the witness said he did not investigate the allegations in the petition before forwarding it to EFCC.

    Idigbe accused the witness of being an EFCC agent, saying: “I put it to you that apart from the fact that you did not investigate the documents, you did not also take any step to verify the facts stated in the petition.”

    He responded: “I only investigated by going through the documents. I did not contact the defendants because it is the work of the EFCC.”

    The second prosecution witness, Abubakar, who heads Nigerian Export Import (NEXIM) Bank Enterprise Risk Management unit, said the third defendant, Suiming Electricals Limited, applied for a loan in December 2013, which was approved in April 2014.

    He said Nwaoboshi, who was a NEXIM Bank board member, asked to be excused from the meeting where a decision to grant the loan was taken.

    According to him, the senator is a director at Bilderberg Enterprises Ltd, a holding company which has the majority shareholding in Suiming Electricals Nigeria.

    Abubakar said EFCC sent five requests to the bank regarding the loan granted Suiming Electricals, adding under cross examination that the company met all the bank’s conditions before the loan was disbursed.

    The witness said although the third defendant had repaid over N billion of the loan, it was still non-performing.

    “The loan facility is for five years. There is a difference between paying and performing. When we give a loan, we give you a payment plan. When you are supposed to be paying N1 million quarterly but you are paying ?200,000, you are paying but you are not performing.”

    EFCC arraigned Nwaoboshi, Golden Touch Construction Projects Limited and Suiming Electricals for alleged N322million fraud.

    The prosecution alleged that Nwaoboshi and Golden Touch Construction Projects purchased a 12-storey property known as Guinea House, Marine Road, Apapa, Lagos for N805million between May and June 2014.

    The anti-graft agency claimed that N322million out of the N805million was part of proceeds of “an unlawful act, to wit: fraud.”

    The EFCC alleged that the N322million was transferred to the property’s vendor on the order of Suiming Electricals, which was accused of aiding Nwaoboshi and Golden Touch Construction Projects to commit money laundering on or about May 14, 2014.

    According to EFCC, Nwaoboshi, a former Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, got a contract through Bilderberg Enterprises Ltd to supply new construction equipment to the state Direct Labour Agency at N1,580,000,000.

    The company allegedly imported and supplied used construction equipment rather than brand new ones despite receiving full payment.

    EFCC said Nwaoboshi, with the proceeds, bought the 12-floor building from Delta State Government at N805million in the name of Golden Touch Construction Projects.

    The commission said the senator had “no visible legitimate business venture to generate the amount spent to purchase the said property”.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    Justice Idris adjourned until July 2 and 3.

  • Money laundering: CBN goes hard on banks

    • Non-compliant bank’s Boards may be removed

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (OAGF) have approved new administrative sanctions regime against banks and their staff who fail to comply with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing regulations.

    The new rule, signed by CBN Director, Financial Policy and Regulations, Kelvin Amugo, requires that where the Board of a financial institution, a director or officer responsible for ensuring anti-money laundering compliance with any relevant provision of these regulations has been penalised in three consecutive examination cycles and the breach continues, the CBN may suspend or remove the Board, director, or officer of that institution.

    The framework released at the weekend also spelt out dissuasive monetary sanctions against Banks and Other Financial Institutions as well as their staff and Boards that fail to comply with the set rules.

    The new rule, the CBN said, is in line with the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendations 35 on effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions and the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) 2007 Mutual Evaluation recommendation that Nigeria’s Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) sanctions regime should be reviewed and made to be proportionate and dissuasive.

    The administrative sanctions regime has been gazetted to give it legal effect and ensure compliance with FATF and GIABA requirements. The gazetted regulation was signed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

    The action also aligns with the powers conferred on OAGF by Section 23 (2) (e) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) and are made  in  furtherance  of  the  Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and Central Bank of Nigeria (Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism for Banks and Other Financial Institutions in Nigeria) Regulations, 2013.

    Amugo said the sanctions given to any bank that violates anti-money laundering regulations will depend on how quickly, efficiently and effectively the financial institution or person  concerned  in  its management  brought  the  contravention  to  the attention of the CBN or any other relevant regulatory authority to the crime.

    It will also depend on the degree of co-operation with CBN examiners or other supervisory agency during the examination;  any  remedial  step  taken  when  the  contravention  was  identified, including  disciplinary  action taken against the staff involved, where appropriate, addressing any systemic failure and taking action designed to ensure that similar problem do not arise in the future and the likelihood that the same type of contravention will reoccur where no administrative sanction is imposed  and whether the contravention was admitted or denied.

    The new rule also requires that any bank that fails to establish written AML/CFT policies and procedures will attract N20 million fine; failure to approve the AML/CFT policies and procedures will attract N1 million fine on each member of the board and N20 million for the bank.

    Also, failure to review/update the AML/CFT policies and procedures at least every three years will attract N750,000 fine on the Executive Compliance Officer in the first instance and N750,000 for each year that the contravention continues.

    It will also attract N500,000 on the Chief Compliance Officer in the first instance and N500,000 for each year that the contravention continues and N5million on the bank in the first instance and N1,000,000 for each year that the contravention continues.

    Also, failure by a bank to communicate the AML/CFT programme of the organisation to employees will attract N750,000 fine on the Executive Compliance Officer and N500,000 on the Chief Compliance Officer as well as N10 million on the bank.

    Failure of the Board or its Committee to supervise and ensure the effective implementation of the AML/CFT programme will attract N500,000 on each member of the Board and N10 million on the bank, among other sanctions.

    The regulation requires that the Central Bank of Nigeria (Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism for Banks and Other Financial Institutions in Nigeria) Regulations, 2013 will include administrative sanctions and penalties as listed out under the Schedule to these Regulations. Also, the administrative sanctions will be imposed after the  examination  of  a  financial  institution  and  observance  of contraventions by CBN Examiners or the recommendation of relevant agencies.

    In determining the sanctions to apply, all the circumstances of the case, including the nature and seriousness of the contravention, conduct of the regulated financial institution or person concerned in its management after the contravention, previous record of the financial institution or person concerned, shall be considered.

  • Money laundering: I can’t be convicted – Metuh

    ….As court refuses request for foreign treatment

     

    Former spokesman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh said Thursday that his trial will not lead to conviction.

    Metuh said: “I will go to the witness box. There is nothing in my case that will ever lead to conviction.”

    He spoke in Abuja Thursday while reacting to a ruling by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court on his (Metuh’s) motion for leave to travel abroad for medical treatment.

    Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited are being tried before the court on charges of money laundering.

    They are said to have unlawfully received N400m from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in November 2014 to fund the party’s presidential campaign ahead of the 2015 poll.

    Metuh and Destra are also said to have engaged in cash transaction of $2m without going through a financial institution.

    Ruling yesterday, Justice Abang said his court lacked jurisdiction to entertain Metuh’s motion, since he failed to appeal the court’s decision in May 2016, rejecting similar a application by the defendant.

    The judge also said the motion, argued by parties last month, was without merit because it was not supported by a medical report.

    Metuh, who had on two occasions attended court on a stretcher and later on wheel chair, came to court yesterday with the aid of a walking frame.

    Justice Abang had, on May 25, 2016 dismissed a similar motion for the release of his passport to enable him seek medical attention in the United Kingdom.

    While dismissing the latest one yesterday, the judge upheld the argument by Sylvanus Tahir (for the prosecution) that Exhibit 3, relied upon by the applicant amounted to “a documentary hearsay” in as much as the doctor who issued it did not personally examine Metuh.

    Justice Abang noted that, besides failing to personally examine Metuh, the doctor who authored the document merely relied on other medical reports which were never produced before the court for scrutiny.

    Justice Abang said: “To the extent that the author of Exhibit 3 relied  on the content of two other letters or two other medical reports dated January 20, 2017 and January 30, 2018 to come to the conclusion that the defendant needed to be referred to the United Kingdom, the Exhibit 3 is a documentary hearsay which is not tenable. I so hold.

    “In the same vein, the applicant cannot rely on the document not brought before the court without producing the document before the court.

    “He (Metuh) ought to have known that it is no longer fashionable to use ill health to delay trial,” the judge said.

    Justice Abang noted that had the court not prevented Metuh from hijacking the proceedings, he would not have called the 10 witnesses that had appeared in court to defend him.

    He added: “On the account of the conduct of the 1st defendant (Metuh) since February 9, 2016 when the prosecution closed its case whereby the defendant has employed all manners of tactics to delay the case, I cannot exercise my discretion in his favour.

    “On whether the court has jurisdiction to entertain the application, in the final analysis, I have no jurisdiction to entertain the matter on merit.

    “On whether the application has merit, the application lacks merit and accordingly dismissed.”

    The judge further noted that there was no medical report filed in support of the application even when the Supreme Court had ruled that for such application to be granted it must be backed by a convincing medical report to the satisfaction of the court.

    He said Metuh could not have filed a medical report since the court had, on January 25, 2016 prohibited him from filing such report since he had resorted to using his ill health to frustrate the trial.

    The judge was of the view that instead of filing a fresh motion for permission to travel abroad, Metuh ought to have appealed the 2016 ruling of the court.

    Justice Abang adjourned to today for further proceedings in the case.

    Reacting to the judge’s ruling after the court’s proceedings, Metuh described court’s decision as “frustrating” and “shocking”.

    He noted: “This is because, in the course of our filing the application we had contended with the fact that the judge said we should not bring medical report again.

    Metuh, who is currently conducting his defence, has called 10 witnesses.

    He noted that “in the course of defending this matter, there is nothing unlawful or illegal that we have done”.

    Metuh insisted that he was innocent. He said he was eager to defend himself and might have have to stop calling from his fresh list of 10 witnesses to enable him personally take the witness stand.

    He said: “I will go to the witness box. There is nothing in my case that will ever lead to conviction.”

    Read Also: Money Laundering: Court dismisses SAN’s, ex-minister’s no-case submissions

  • GIABA moves against money laundering, terrorist financing

    The Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) has organised a regional workshop on developing effective frameworks and structures to fight Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (ML/TF) through Non-profit Organisations (NPOs).

    The workshop, held in Abuja at the weekend enabled the agency to educate the NPOs on effective means of fighting money laundering and terrorist financing.

    In a statement, GIABA said the importance of NPOs in economic development, demonstrated through humanitarian and essential services, cannot be overemphasised.

    However, several studies have underscored the vulnerabilities of the NPO sector to abuse, particularly, for terrorism financing (TF) purposes. These reports include typologies reports on “The Risk of using Non-profit Organizations for Terrorist Purposes” published by FATF in 2017, and “Terrorist Financing in West and Central Africa” jointly published by FATF and GIABA in 2013 and updated in 2016.

    In addition to these typologies reports, it noted that last year, GIABA organised a regional workshop on Preventing the Abuse of Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) for Terrorism Purposes in Lomé, Togo. The outcomes of the workshop highlighted numerous deficiencies, including in anti-terrorism structures and frameworks within the NPO sector, an understanding of the roles of NPOs in the implementation of FATF Recommendation 8, effective regulation of NPOs, among others.

    It said outcomes of the first round of Mutual Evaluation of GIABA member-states reveal that several of them were still grappling with some challenges, including inadequate sensitisation, inefficient regulation of NPOs, and gaps in domestic AML/CFT legal and regulatory frameworks for effective supervision of NPOs.

    “GIABA has designed, among other instruments, this awareness-raising and training programme to fill the gaps identified and improve on the performance of member-states in the implementation of FATF Recommendation 8. This Recommendation requires member countries to adopt legislative and regulatory measures to ensure that NPOs are not used for the purpose of financing terrorist activities,” it said.

    The workshop seeks to create a platform for in-depth reflection on best practices, establish a consensus and encourage cooperation and collaboration to prevent the abuse of NPOs for terrorism.

    Specifically, the workshop’s objectives are to sensitise and develop a common understanding among stakeholders, support to build effective and proportionate responses to TF risks through the NPO sector; identify the legal and regulatory gaps at domestic level in the region; and to enhance cooperation, coordination and commitment at national level between Governments and the NPO.

     

  • Court dismisses SAN’s, ex-minister’s no-case submissions in money laundering charge

    •I’ll consult my counsel for necessary action, says Suleiman

    THE Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday dismissed a no-case submission made by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Dele Belgore, in a money laundering charge brought against him and a former National Planning Minister Prof. Abubakar Suleiman.

    Justice Rilwan Aikawa held that they had a case to answer.

    He directed them to open their defence.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused them of money laundering.

    They were accused of allegedly receiving the sum of N450 million on March 27, 2015 out of the $115,010,000 paid by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to compromise the 2015 general election.

    Former Petroleum Resources Minister Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke is also named in the charge. EFCC said she “is at large”.

    Belgore and Suleiman, through their counsel, Mr. Ebun Shofunde and Tunji Ayanlaja, both SANs, said the prosecution did not make out a prima facie case against them.

    Suleiman aligned himself with Belgore’s no-case submission, urging the court to discharge and acquit them.

    But EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo urged the court to dismiss the no-case submission.

    Ruling, Justice Aikawa upheld the prosecution’s arguments, agreeing that a prima-facie case had been made out against the defendants.

    “Consequently, I hereby overrule the no-case submission made by the learned senior advocate. The first and second defendants may, therefore, wish to enter their defence,” he held.

    After the ruling, defence counsel Seni Adio (SAN), who stood in for Shofunde, said he had a pending application dated January 16 in which Belgore is praying the court to order the EFCC to produce all the statements he made.

    But Oyedepo argued that the prosecution tendered all the statements Belgore made and had closed its case.

    Justice Aikawa then directed Oyedepo to file a formal objection to the application to produce the additional statements.

    He adjourned for hearing of the application.

    They pleaded not guilty.

    Justice Rilwan Aikawa adjourned until April 30 for hearing.

     

     

  • Fed Govt to deregister NGOs over terrorism, money laundering

    THE Federal Government has begun the profiling of Non-Governmental organisations (NGOs) with the intention of deregistering those involved in questionable activities.

    It was learnt that the measure was aimed at curbing money laundering and terrorist financing,

    The profiling activities presently being carried out by the Special Control Unit on Money Laundering (SCUML), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) is in compliance with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendation.

    The FATF recommendation requires countries to adopt necessary measures to prevent the use of NGOs for nefarious activities.

    NFIU’s Director Francis Usani, who broke the news in Abuja yesterday, said the need to profile and review activities of NGOs were informed by the realisation that the groups have become “veritable tools to launder money and finance terrorism”.

    Usani said the government was also exploring other options, including sensitising NGOs on their obligations to ensure they do not unwittingly yield themselves to terrorists and other criminals.

    The NFIU Director spoke at a “regional workshop on the development of effective frameworks and structure to fight terrorist financing/money laundering through non-profit organisations (NPOs)”.

    It was organised by the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA).

    “It is obvious that Designated Non-Financial Business or Profession (DNFBP) and particularly NPOs pose a major challenge in our respective Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) culture, and this challenge has been identified in our various national risk assessments.

    “There are case studies in Nigeria and in the West African sub-region and globally too, where NPOs have been used as veritable tools to launder money and finance terrorism,” Usani said.

    He added that the realisation of this fact informed why FATF, under its Recommendation 8, directed that countries should review the adequacy of laws and regulations that relate to NPOs/NGOs that could be abused for the financing of terrorism.

    GIABA’s Director General Kimelabalou Aba said the workshop was to educate players in the NPOs and a measure to protect NPOs against abuses because their extended logistical networks, large transitory workforces, cash-intensive nature of operations now make them highly vulnerable to terrorist financing.

    Mrs. Stella Maduka of the Federal Ministry of Finance blamed the growing unemployment rate globally for the increasing in terrorist activities.

     

  • GIABA sensitises NPOs on fight against money laundering

    The Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) is holding a regional workshop on developing effective frameworks and structures to fight Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (ML/TF) through Non-profit Organisations (NPOs).

    The workshop, scheduled to hold in Abuja, from today to Friday, will enable the agency educate the NPOs on the effective means of fighting money laundering and terrorist financing.

    In a statement, GIABA said the importance of NPOs in economic development, demonstrated through humanitarian and essential services, could not be overemphasised.

    However, several studies have underscored the vulnerabilities of the NPO sector to abuse, particularly for terrorism financing (TF) purposes. These include typologies reports on “The Risk of using Non-profit Organisations for Terrorist Purposes” published by FATF in 2017 and “Terrorist Financing in West and Central Africa” jointly published by FATF and GIABA in 2013 and updated in 2016.

    In addition, it noted that last year, GIABA organised a regional workshop on Preventing the Abuse of Non-profit Organisations (NPOs) for Terrorism Purposes in Lomé, Togo. The outcomes of the workshop highlighted numerous deficiencies, including in anti-terrorism structures and frameworks within the NPO sector, an understanding of the roles of NPOs in the implementation of FATF Recommendation 8, effective regulation of NPOs, among others.

    It said outcomes of the first round of Mutual Evaluation of GIABA member-states reveal that several member-states were still grappling with some challenges, including inadequate sensitisation, inefficient regulation of NPOs, and gaps in domestic AML/CFT legal and regulatory frameworks for effective supervision of NPOs.

    “GIABA has designed, among other instruments, this awareness-raising and training programme in order to fill the gaps identified and improve on the performance of Member States in the implementation of FATF Recommendation 8. This Recommendation requires member countries to adopt legislative and regulatory measures to ensure that NPOs are not used for the purpose of financing terrorist activities,” it said.

    The workshop seeks to create a platform for in-depth reflection on best practices, establish a consensus and encourage cooperation and collaboration to prevent the abuse of NPOs for terrorist purposes.

    Specifically, the workshop’s objectives are to sensitise and develop a common understanding among stakeholders, support to build effective and proportionate responses to TF risks through the NPO sector; identify the legal and regulatory gaps at domestic level in the region; and to enhance cooperation, coordination and commitment at national level between governments and the NPO.

     

  • ‘What ex-EFCC chair told Jonathan’s wife on money laundering’

    ‘What ex-EFCC chair told Jonathan’s wife on money laundering’

    A FORMER Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ibrahim Lamorde only drew former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan’s attention to the money laundering law, which forbids travelling with cash in excess of $10,000, The Nation learnt yesterday.

    A source, who pleaded for anonymity, said the explanation was necessary following news report on a statement on oath by former Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa.

    Dudafa was quoted on February 27, 2018 as saying in a statement on oath he filed before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos that Lamorde advised Mrs. Jonathan, where to keep her money.

    It was in respect of a suit by Mrs. Jonathan seeking to unfreeze her accounts with $15.5 million.

    But the source told The Nation yesterday that the former anti-graft chief advised that “credit/debit cards should be used for payments to avoid the national embarrassment of a first lady being caught with cash at any airport.

    “That would, of course, imply opening a domiciliary account with a bank so as to get issued with cards.”

    The source said: “Any law enforcement agent would be expected to give that sort of advice, especially to a highly placed personality such as the President’s wife.

    “The background to all this was the heightened surveillance in the western airports against money laundering, especially by politically exposed persons from Nigeria. There were a lot of stories flying round about money laundering outside the country.”

    The source said the BVN was already in place at the time, which enhanced the transparency of financial  movements.

    “In fact, in retrospect Lamorde’s advice that the former first lady use cards instead of cash has made the job of the EFCC investigators easier.

    “Rather than accuse him of complicity, Lamorde should be commended for doing the proper thing as EFCC Chairman in his advice that cards should be used by Mrs. Jonathan for her transactions,” the source explained.

    Dudafa was quoted in media reports to have said the millions of dollars and other currencies belonging to Mrs. Jonathan were cash gifts, inheritance and funds she holds in trust for others.

    He told the court that during the burial of Mrs. Jonathan’s mother, Charity Oba, “several individuals, corporate bodies, well-wishers across the country brought so much gifts to the plaintiff both in cash and materials that are quite substantial”.

    He said in a bid to safeguard the funds, Mrs. Jonathan sought Lamorde’s advice on the best way to save the monies without violating the Money Laundering Act.