The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday arraigned an Austrian national, Kavlak Onal, before the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over alleged failure to declare foreign currencies totalling $800,575 and €651,505, equivalent to about N2.28 billion.
Onal was arraigned before Justice Yellim Bogoro on a two-count charge bordering on non-declaration of funds.
The prosecution counsel, Mrs Bilikisu Buhari, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence on December 13 during outward clearance at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, en route to Australia.
According to the prosecution, the defendant was arrested by officers of the Anti-Money Laundering Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the airport after he failed to declare the foreign currencies in his possession.
Buhari said the alleged offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022.
When the charges were read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty to both counts.Following his plea, the prosecution urged the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) pending trial.
However, defendant counsel, Sterlin Imhemuro, who appeared with Temilehin Olushola, informed the court that a bail application had been filed on behalf of the defendant and served on the prosecution.
He requested that his client be remanded in EFCC custody pending the hearing and determination of the bail application.
Responding, the prosecutor confirmed receipt of the bail application at about 9:03 a.m and requested a short adjournment to enable her to study the application and file a response.
After hearing submissions from both parties, Justice Bogoro adjourned the matter to January 16 for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the determination of the application.
The charges against the defendant read in part that on December 13, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the court, he failed to declare the sum of $800,575 to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022.
The second count alleged that he failed to declare the sum of €651,505 at the same airport on the same date, an offence also contrary to and punishable under the same provision of the Act.
