* Pix source: The Nigerian Voice
A Federal High Court, Lagos, today, ordered the arrest of a businessman, Ani Paulinus Onyeka, over his failure to appear before the court for arraignment, over allegation of money laundering.
The court presided over by Justice Rilwan Aikawa, made the order while granting an arrest warrant application against the businessman, filed and argued before the court by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), through its prosecution, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo.
The EFCC had filed a two count-charge marked FHC/L/161c/2014, against the businessman, over his failure to declare the sum of $1.909,140 million, which he allegedly laundered into Nigeria, from Republic of Congo.
However, his arraignment was adjourned till today, after he had severally failed to appear before the court to face the charge.
The businessman was first arraigned before Justice Rita Ofli-Ajumogobia, sometimes in 2014.
However, the case was reassigned to Justice Rilwan Aikawa, following the suspension of the former trial judge, who is equally facing trial before an Ikeja High Court of Lagos state for alleged corrupt practices.
When the matter came up today, the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that the accused has failed to appear in court court since 2014, when he was arraigned before Justice Rita Ofli Ajumogobia.
Oyedipo subsequently urged the court to grant the arrest warrant as the defendant failed to voluntarily come to court.
Consequently, Justice Aikawa grant the arrest warrant application, and adjourned the matter till November 2.
Count one of the charge against the accused person reads, “that you, Ani Paulinus Onyeka, on or before February 10, 2014, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, within jurisdiction of this court, while transporting in cash the sum of $1.909,146 million, from Republic of Congo to Nigeria, failed to declare the said sum of $1.909,146 million USD, to Nigerian Customs Services (NCS), as required under section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap. F34, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012.
Count two of the charge reads, “that you, Ani Paulinus Onyeka, on or before February 10, 2014, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, within jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, transported thw sum of $1.909,146 million, from Republic of Congo to Nigeria, with intent to carry out specified unlawful activity to wit: avoiding lawful transaction under the law through financial institution in respect of the sum of $1.909,146 million and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 4(5) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related Offences Act, 2006”.
