The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, secured the conviction of two Lebanese nationals, Chamseddine Waell Mohammed and Dina Jihad Khali, to 2 years in prison each.
The EFCC’s Head on Media & Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said the commission’s Port Harcourt zonal office preferred a separate one count charge of money laundering to the convicts.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the sum of $890,000 had been forfeited to the Nigerian Government.
According to the statement, both defendants pleaded guilty to the offences which run contrary to Section 2 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 2 (5) of the same Act.
The first charge read: “That you Chamseddine Waell Mohammed on the 1st July, 2020 at Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fail to make a declaration of the sum of $220,000.00 hid in your Luggage on board a chartered flight with registration number 9HVFF to Lebanon and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as Amended) and punishable under section 2 (5) of the same Act”.
The second charge read: “That you Dina Jihad Khali on the 1st July, 2020 at Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fail to make a declaration to the Nigeria Custom Service as required by law cash transportation of the sum of $670,000.00 hid in your Luggage on board a chartered flight with registration number 9HVFF to Lebanon and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as Amended) and punishable under Section 2 (5) of the same Act”.
Meanwhile, counsel to the defendants, Paul Ejiga urged the court to temper justice with mercy as the defendants were first time offenders who had no previous criminal record.
Justice I. M.Sani of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, who presided over the case, sentenced both defendants to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of One Million Naira each
While reviewing facts of the case, prosecuting counsel, Aso Peters, tendered some documents, which included Letter of Invitation from Customs and statements of the defendants, as exhibits.
Principal Detective Superintendent Macaulay Olayinka, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, told the court that the two convicts were arrested for attempting to smuggle a total sum of $890,000 USD out of Nigeria.
