The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has charged one Onwuasonya Augustine to court for allegedly swallowing $115,000 to avoid declaring it to officials of the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Augustine was on Tuesday arraigned along with five others for the offence of money laundering.

The anti-graft agency listed his alleged accomplices as Christian Okoli, Kingsley Nwokenta, aka Buchito, Nwokenta Emmanuel, Ezenwa Ikenna and Ezenwa Uzoma.



The six were charged with four counts before Justice C.J. Aneke of a Federal High Court in Lagos.

The EFCC prosecutor, Ayokunle Fayanju, alleged that Onwuasonya and the others committed the offence on August 25, 2015, adding that they were apprehended at Room 303 of a five-star hotel in Lagos.

Fayanju said the men acted contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012, and were liable to being punished under Section 2(5) of the same Act.

The sixth accused, Uzoma, was singularly charged with the offence of obstructing an NDLEA official, Bello Tsanya, in the discharge of his duty, which, according to Fayanju, is against the provisions of Section 22 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012).

The prosecutor said Uzoma was liable to being punished under the provisions of Section 22(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012).

But when the charges were read to the six accused in court, they all pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor said, “In view of the plea of the accused, I respectfully pray the honourable court for a trial date to enable us bring our witnesses. However, I will also be praying that the accused persons be remanded in prison pending trial.”

But the counsel for the 1st to 5th accused, Mr. Victor Opara, told the court that he had filed bail applications on their behalf and sought short adjournment for the hearing of the applications.

He, however, urged the judge to order the remand of the accused in the EFCC custody pending the hearing of their bail applications, rather than the prison custody.

Opara pointed out that the 2nd defendant had health challenges, which were being treated while he was in the custody of the EFCC and asked the court to remand him and the others in the EFCC custody so that they could have easy access to treatment and lawyers.

But Fayanju urged the court to reject the prayer to remand the accused in the EFCC custody, saying the commission’s detention facility was overstretched.

Justice Aneke adjourned till December 11, 2015, to take the bail applications of the accused and ordered their remand at the Ikoyi Prison.

Source www.Punchng.com/efcc-accuses-man-of-swallowing-11500/

na wa ooo. some charges look ridiculous. Swallow raw cash not coke? EFCC and Police are fast becoming one in slamming people with charges that can make a dead man turn in his grave.

Efcc dey vex anyhow.

Person swallow $115,000,na ATM?

That is the real Ole that should be in the Guinness Book of Records. The one who swallows is worse than the one who invests his loots..by late SLA of Ogbomosho.

signature2012:
Person swallow $115,000,na ATM?

No, Amaechi

Some captions are just too funny

So person fit chop money true-true, na politician?

END TIME SWALLOWING

Guys can do anytin for money oh


The guy's mouth have got a hidden talent

Lies...... The highest denomination of a dollar currency is $100 and the man was acclaimed to have swallowed $115,00, that makes 1,150 currency notes(if the currency were in $100 notes); how on earth is it possible to swallow 1,150 notes. OP, check your link wella, I'm sure something is wrong somewhere, either the EFCC are daydreaming or the link is lying.