A Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos has convicted an American, Parker Damian George for money laundering and order a forfeiture of 40 percent of the total sum found on him at the point of arrest.
He was charged and found guilty by Justice Mohammed Idris under the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 which stipulated that any person who falsely declares or fails to make a declaration to the Nigerian 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% of the undeclared funds or negotiable instrument or to imprisonment of not less than two years.
The charge against Parker George read in part ; that on or about November 30th 2011 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court failed to make a declaration of the sum of USD 42,700 (Forty two thousand and seven hundred dollars) 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 the 29th November, 2011 during a secondary check at the boarding gate with Forty two thousand and seven hundred United States Dollar ($42,700) by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agent 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 percent of the total undeclared sum of found on him at the point of arrest at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
