The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on
Wednesday, April 15, 2015, arraigned
Augustine Anidiobi Chibuike before Justice Okon Abang of the
Federal High Court Lagos on one count of
money Laundering.
Chibuike, was arrested by officials of the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on January 12, 2013 at the Murtala Mohammed
International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, during an inward clearance of passengers
on Emirate Airlines from Malaysia.
He was arrested for unlawful possession of One Hundred and
Fifty Nine thousand, Two Hundred United States Dollars ($159,200) which is
suspected to be proceeds of money laundering and was later transferred to the
EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.
The charge read:
That You, "Augustine Anidiobu Chibuike on or about the
12th of January, 2013 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport within the
Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court had in your possession cash in the sum
of One Hundred and Fifty Nine thousand, Two Hundred United States of America
Dollars ($159,200) which you transported from Malaysia via Dubai to Lagos, and
failed to declare the sum of One Hundred
and Fifty Nine thousand, Two Hundred United States of America Dollars
($159,200) to the officers and men of the Nigerian Custom Service as required
under the provisions of section 2(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act,
2011 (as amended by Act No.1 of 2012) and thereby committed an offence
punishable under section 2(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011
(as amended by Act No.1 of 2012).
When the charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded not
guilty.
In view of the plea,
prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed asked for a trial date and prayed the
court to remand the defendant in prison custody.
The defense counsel, Hycinth Odu urged the court for a short adjourned date to
file an application for bail and for the defendant to remain in the EFCC
custody, pending the hearing of bail
application.
However, Justice Abang
ordered that the defendant be remanded in Ikoyi prison pending the
consideration of his bail application. The case is adjourned till June 23, 2015
for hearing of bail application.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
17th April, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment