Congolese convicted for smuggling $511,000, to forfeit cash

A CONGOLESE, Kutumisana Mbuta Blaise has been convicted for smuggling the sum of $511, 225 and he is to forfeit the cash to the Federal Government. The convict, a national of Democratic Republic of Congo was found guilty of money laundering by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

According to a statement from the EFCC, Blaise was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on one count charge of money laundering sequel to his arrest at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for being in possession of $511,225 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).

Commission’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said that the convict 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.