A Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos has convicted an American, Parker Damian George for laundering about N6.8million ($42,700).
The court also ordered the accused to forfeit 40 per cent of the total sum found on him at the point of arrest.
According to a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the suspect was charged and found guilty by Justice Mohammed Idris under the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011.
The Act stipulates that any person, who falsely declares or fails to make a declaration to the Customs Service pursuant to Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to forfeit not less that 25 per cent of the undeclared funds or negotiable instrument or to imprisonment of not less than two years.
The statement said: “The charge against Parker George reads in part: “That on or about November 30, 2011 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court failed to make a declaration of the $ 42,700 which you were transporting from Nigeria to the United States of America to the Nigerian Customs Service as required under Section 2(3) of the Money Laundering Act of 2011 and Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provision) Act Cap. F3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 2(5) of the Money Laundering Act of 2011.
“Parker Damian George was arrested on November 29, 2011 during a secondary check at the boarding gate with $42,700 by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and was handed over to the EFCC for prosecution.
“Consequent upon this, as a first offender without previous criminal record, the court ordered that Parker should forfeit 40 per cent of the total undeclared sum found on him at the point of arrest at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.”
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Court convicts American suspect for laundering N6.8 million