EFCC arraigns Indian for money laundering

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned an Indian Chandra Prakash Singh before the Federal High Court in Lagos for laundering $200,000.

EFCC, in a statement on Thursday, stated that Singh appeared before Justice Nicholas Oweibo on a seven-count charge of attempted theft of more than $200,000 (₦92,088,000).

According to the anti-graft agency, Singh allegedly transferred funds worth $90,000 from a domiciled United Bank for Africa (UBA) to Citibank N.A. in New York on Sunday, December 6, 2020, and also a sum of $78,000 on Thursday, December 2, 2021.

“That you, Chandra Prakash Singh, on or about the 16th of December 2020, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, removed from monies from an account number 3002518278 domiciled in UBA Nigeria to account number 0003 domiciled in Citibank N.A., New York, United States of America, the sum of $90,000.00 (ninety thousand dollars),” One of the counts reads.

“Which sum you reasonable ought to have known forms part of proceeds of your unlawful activity, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011, as amended, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”

Singh, however, pleaded not guilty to the offence, and in view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, B.B. Bala, asked for the defendant’s remand and a date for trial.

The defendant’s attorney, Efe Solomon Izokor, appealed to the court for an oral bail application.

Bala objected to the submission made by the defence, insisting that “a written bail application be brought before the court” to enable her to respond accordingly.

Justice Oweibo remanded the defendant to the correctional facility and adjourned the matter till Tuesday, June 27, for the commencement of trial.