Cash smuggling: Congolese convict forfeits $511,225 to FG

Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday convicted one Kutumisana Mbuta Blaise, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, for money laundering.

Blaise was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on one court charge of money laundering sequel to his arrest at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for being in possession of Five Hundred and Eleven Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty Five United States Dollars ($511,225.00), cash which he failed to declare to the officers and men of the Nigerian Customs Service as required by the provisions of Section 2(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012).

He had pleaded not guilty upon arraignment but after diligent prosecution by the EFCC, Justice Buba found him guilty as charged.

“The court is satisfied that the prosecution proved his case beyond reasonable doubt and thereby finds you Kutumisana Mbuta Blaise guilty of the allegation contained in the one count charge before the court and hereby convict you of the offence of failure to declare the sum of Five Hundred and Eleven Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty Five United States of America Dollars in contravention to section 2(3) Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012) and punishable under section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012).”

The convict is to forfeit the entire sum to the Federal Government of Nigeria in line with provisions of the Money Laundering Act.

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