The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday arraigned an Indian Chandra Prakash Singh before the Federal High Court in Lagos for laundering $200,000.
EFCC, in a statement, stated that Singh
appeared before Justice Nicholas Oweibo on a seven-count charge of attempted
theft of more than $200,000 (₦92,088,000).
According to the anti-graft agency, Singh
allegedly transferred funds worth $90,000 from a domiciled United Bank for
Africa (UBA) to Citibank N.A. in New York on Sunday, December 6, 2020, and also
a sum of $78,000 on Thursday, December 2, 2021.
“That you, Chandra Prakash Singh, on or about
the 16th of December 2020, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable
Court, removed from monies from an account number 3002518278 domiciled in UBA
Nigeria to account number 0003 domiciled in Citibank N.A., New York, United
States of America, the sum of $90,000.00 (ninety thousand dollars),” One of the
counts reads.
“Which sum you reasonable ought to have known
forms part of proceeds of your unlawful activity, and you thereby committed an
offence contrary to Section 18(2)(c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act,
2011, as amended, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”
Singh, however, pleaded not guilty to the
offence, and in view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, B.B. Bala, asked for
the defendant’s remand and a date for trial.
The defendant’s attorney, Efe Solomon Izokor,
appealed to the court for an oral bail application.
Bala objected to the submission made by the
defence, insisting that “a written bail application be brought before the
court” to enable her to respond accordingly.
Justice Oweibo remanded the defendant to the
correctional facility and adjourned the matter till Tuesday, June 27, for the
commencement of trial.
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