The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Gombe Zonal Office has secured the conviction of Mijinyawa B. Kembu and Bello Idris for money laundering offence.
Kembu and Idris were arraigned on January 15, 2019 along with their respective companies, Abm Kembu Nigeria Limited and Agsir Nigeria Limited, before Justice N.I. Afolabi of the Federal High Court, Gombe on two counts bordering on “transacting and accepting cash payment exceeding the threshold provided by Law”.
They were arraigned following investigations into their non-compliance with the provisions of Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.
One of the charges reads: “That you Agsir Nigeria Limited and Alhaji Bello Idris being the one that manages business of Agsir Nigeria Ltd and in that capacity sometime in July 2015 at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did transact and accept cash payment of N8 million in excess of the threshold provided by the Law from Reuben Useni, without reporting the transaction to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission within seven days of the said transaction until after 12 days before you reported same thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 10 (1) (a) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 as (amended) now No. 11 2012 and Punishable under Section 10 (3) of the same Act”.
Kembu was accused of transacting and accepting cash payment of $1,000 or its equivalent from one Aliyu Dimba without reporting within 24 hours of the transaction to Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) as required by the Law.
The defendants pleaded “guilty” to the charges read against them.
Prosecuting counsel, S.E. Okemini, thereafter, urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
In his ruling, Justice Afolabi, ordered Bello and his company, as well as Kembu and his company, to pay a fine of N250,000 and N300,000 respectively.