The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on March 28, 2018 arraigned a Chinese, Li Yanping, before Justice Babatunde Ouadri of the Federal High Court, Abuja on one-count charge of concealing a sum of $300,000 to the officers of the Nigerian Customs Service while attempting to board a flight en route Dubai, as required by law under Section 2 (3) of the money laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012).
Yanping was arrested by the Presidential Task Force on Trans Border Cash Movement on March 15, 2018 for failure to disclose the said sum while attempting to board an Emirate flight, EK 8786 en route Dubai and handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The charge reads:
“That you, Li Yanping on or about the 15th day of March, 2018 at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, had in your possession cash in the sum of $300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) during your outbound clearance for travel to Dubai and failed to declare the said sum of $300,000 to the officers and men of the Nigerian Customs Service as required under the provision of Section 2 (3) of the money laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 ( as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 ( as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012).”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Ene Emonye, asked the court to fix a date for trial and to remand the defendant in EFCC custody pending trial.
On the other hand, Yanping’s counsel, Chinedu Eze, told the court that he had a pending bail application praying the court to admit the defendant to bail.
While moving the application brought under Section 35(1) & (4) and 36 (5) and (6) of the 1999 constitution and Section 158, 162, 163 & 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, Eze urged the court to exercise its discretion in favour of his client by releasing him on bail pending trial.
In response, Emonye said that she was served with the application dated March 28, 2018 whilst in court and expressed desire to respond to it formally.
However, Justice Quadri granted the accused person bail in the sum of N10million with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must not below salary GL12 in any of the Federal Ministries or Parastatals and must have traceable addresses. The sureties must comply with a bail bond accompanied with their international passport.
“The defendant is to be remanded in the custody of the EFCC until the perfection of his bail conditions”, the judge added.
The case has been adjourned to April 17, 2018 for hearing.
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Crime