http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200705230433846


Nigerian diplomat arrested with $2.2m
Adeyeye Joseph


A Nigerian diplomat, Captain G.A. Ojedokun, has been arrested by intelligence officers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, India, for being in possession of $2.27m.

Ojedokun, who is the Defence Attache at the Nigerian High Commission in India, was about to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to Lagos on Monday night when an X-ray scanner revealed that there were stacks of cash in his bag.

According to the Indo-Asian News Service, a subsequent search on him also revealed that he had more money.

The total sum, which was in $100 bills, was seized from him.

Ojedokun, who reportedly volunteered a statement under oath, was interrogated and detained briefly before being allowed to continue with his journey on Tuesday.

Officials told the IANS that the seizure was the biggest airport cash haul ever in India.

They said Ojedokun, who pleaded diplomatic immunity, had claimed that the bag contained clothes.

The Director-General of India’s Income Tax (Investigations) Unit, Mr. S.S. Khan, told the IANS that Ojedokun had admitted that the money belonged to him.

“He (the envoy) claimed that it was his money that was withdrawn from a bank, but that is unconvincing. For now, we have seized the money and we are proceeding with our investigation,” Khan said.

An official of the Enforcement Directorate explained that the Defence Attache was released because “we have no power to keep him in custody as he enjoys diplomatic immunity.”

The official, however, said, “We have our ways of finding out what this money was for. Obviously, he was carrying so much money that it was bound to cause suspicion.”

He said that Ojedokun had said that he had about $1.5m in his check-in baggage before a count proved otherwise.

Indian Foreign Ministry officials told the Agence France Presse that they had informed the Presidency of the incident.

The officials also doused speculations that the money could have been linked to the kidnapping of two Indians in the Niger Delta by suspected militants recently.

They claimed that all the checks conducted showed that this was not the case.

IANS said it contacted the Nigerian High Commission in India but that officials declined to comment on the incident.

Indian authorities were on Tuesday said to be investigating whether there is a connection between Nigerian diplomatic officials and an alleged Nigerian drug syndicate operating in the country.

They were also said to be looking into claims that the money was ‘protection money’ paid by Indian companies in N

do we or rather they never learn?!

I thought he has deplomatic immunity from be arrested and investigation

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