Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, Port Harcourt zonal office on Thursday,
August 20, 2020, secured the conviction of
Chamseddine Waell Mohammed and Dina Jihad
Khali who both pleaded guilty to separate one
count charge of money laundering preferred
against them by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC.
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.
Both defendants were sentenced to two years
imprisonment by Justice I. M. Sani of the Federal
High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The charges 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”.
“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 One
Million Naira each. The undeclared amount was
ordered forfeited to the Federal Government of
Nigeria.
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