Court Jails Two Lebanese Caught Smuggling $890,000 In Rivers State

Chamseddine Waell Mohammed and Dina Jihad Khali l,

wo Lebanese have been convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment respectively by Justice I. M. Sani of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The convicts, Chamseddine Waell Mohammed and Dina Jihad Khali l, were arrested at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, while attempting to smuggle $890,000 out of the country.

The offences 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.

Chamseddine Waell Mohammed and Dina Jihad Khali l.

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 (Two Hundred and Twenty Thousand US dollars) 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 (Six Hundred and Seventy Thousand US Dollars) 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 defendants pleaded guilty to the charges.

While reviewing facts of the case, prosecuting counsel, Aso Larrys 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( Eight Hundred and Ninety Thousand United States US Dollars) out of Nigeria, through the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.

“The said amount was found inside their Luggage on board a chartered flight with registration number 9HVFF to Lebanon.

“They were apprehended by the Nigeria Custom Service, Area One Command, Port Harcourt, and handed over to the Port Harcourt Zonal office of the EFCC on August 12, 2020 for further investigation.

“The convicts, Khali with passport number LR152975 (Republic of Lebanon) was arrested with $670,000USD (Six Hundred and Seventy Thousand Dollars ) while Mohammed with Passport Number LR0356598 (Republic of Lebanon) had in his possession the sum of $220,000USD (Two Hundred and Twenty Thousand Dollars),” he said.

He further disclosed that the money recovered from the suspects had been deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Rivers State branch, for safe keeping by the arresting agency.

In view of the reviewed facts, the prosecution prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendants as charged.

However, counsel to the defendants, Paul Ejiga, urged the court to temper justice with mercy as the defendants were first time offenders, who have no previous criminal record.

Justice Sani consequently convicted and sentenced the defendants to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of N1m each.

The undeclared amount was ordered forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

AddThis

Featured Image

Original Author

SaharaReporters, New York

Disable advertisements

from 24HRSNEWS
via 24HRSNEWS

from EDUPEDIA247https://ift.tt/31fHKJZ
via EDUPEDIA

Dust haze weather to prevail on Thursday, December 27

- The Nigerian Meteorological agency (NiMet) predicts thick dust haze weather conditions over most parts of the country - NiMet predicts northern states would experience dust haze - The agency also predicts early morning mist/fog is expected over the coastal cities The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted thick dust haze weather conditions with reduced visibility over most parts of the country on Thursday, December 27. NiMet’s Weather Outlook on Wednesday, December 26, in Abuja, revealed that the central region of the country would record dust haze condition with visibility range of two to five kilometres throughout the day. It added that day and night temperatures of 27 degrees Celsius to 34 degrees Celsius and 10 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius, respectively, would prevail over the region. READ ALSO: Police reportedly arrest Badeh’s alleged killers The agency predicted that the northern states would experience dust haze with visibility range of two to fi...

N2.5bn Fraud: You Have Case To Answer, Appeal Court Tells Suspended NBC Boss, Kawu

The Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Ishaq Kawu. The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, has dismissed an appeal filed by the suspended Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Dr Moddibbo Kawu, challenging the decision of the Federal High Court, to dismiss the no-case submission he filed at the lower court. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission had charged Kawu, Lucky Omoluwa (late Chairman of Pinnacle Communications Ltd) and Dipo Onifade, Chief Operating Officer of the same company, before Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo-Giwa, on a 12-count charge of money laundering. Is'haq Modibbo Kaw THISDAYLIVE The suspended NBC boss and his co-accused then approached the appellate court to reverse the judgment of the Federal High Court. The appellate dismissed the no-case submission filed by Kawu and his co-accused and held that they had an explanation to give when he elected to facilitate the payment of ...

Buhari’s Legacy Of Recessions By Fredrick Nwabufo

Fredrick Nwabufo ‘Why always Buhari?’ As it was in 1984 under General Buhari, so it is in 2016 and 2020 under President Buhari? Is it by the unfortunate hands of kismet that recession hits Nigeria every time Buhari takes charge of the country’s affairs? If the recession of the 80s under Buhari was a conspiracy by economic and political factors, to what do we attribute that of his first coming as a civilian President — and now in his second coming? Why does pestilence scourge the land, hunger ravage the population and lives lost malevolently when Buhari presides over the country? Why always Buhari? Buhari’s undoing is his wonted predilection for hierarchising ethnicity, religion and loyalty above competence. Since 1999, no President has obtrusively shown a more nepotistic aspect than Buhari. It is unarguable that the President arrays the most competence-challenged cabinet ever in the chronicle of governance in Nigeria. Yes, a recession cabinet. Fredrick Nwabufo Here is a cabin...

EDUPEDIA247

Search This Blog