Two Chinese nationals were found guilty on two of three counts of conspiracy, money laundering, and attempted bribery amounting to N50 million by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and were sentenced to six years in jail on Friday. Mr. Meng Wei Kun and Mr. Xu Kuai are the prisoners, Entrepreneurng report.
One states, “That you Mr. Meng Wei Kun adult male, and Mr. Xu Kuai adult male on or about the 11th day of May 2020 in Sokoto within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court (Federal High Court) did conspire among yourselves to commit an offense to wit: making cash payment of the sum of Fifty Million Naira (N50,000,000.00) which sum exceed the amount authorized by Law without going through a financial institution and thereby committed
The second paragraph states, “That you, Mr. Meng Wei Kun, adult, male, and Mr. Xu Kuai, adult, male, on the 11th day of May 2020 at about 2200hrs at Kasarawa Area, Airport road Sokoto State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court (Federal High Court), without going through a financial institution made a cash payment of the sum of Fifty Million Naira (N50,000,000.00) to one Abdullahi.
The appellate court found the respondents guilty of charges one and two in a unanimous decision rendered by Judge Abubakar Mahmud Talba on the appeal of the EFCC against the decision of a Federal High Court, Sokoto, which discharged and acquitted the respondents.
The court also gave the pair three years in prison on each count, with the possibility of an additional N10 million in fines.
Justice Talba determined that the EFCC had established beyond a reasonable doubt counts 1 and 2 of the charge brought before the Federal High Court, but he agreed with the lower court on count 3 and accordingly ordered its dismissal because a similar charge was pending before the Sokoto High Court.
According to Justice Talba, “the respondents are charged with conspiracy and making a cash payment to Abdullahi Lawal (then zonal head of the EFCC Sokoto) over the amount allowed by the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended in 2012), which was established beyond a reasonable doubt before the lower Court, but surprisingly the trial Judge somersaulted in his decision and reversed himself.
I regret to inform you that the trial judge’s judgment was like a work of fiction since he raised questions in his head while carrying out his duties.
“There is no question that the trial judge gravely erred in believing that no crime was committed.”
“Conspiracy is a distinct offense even if the actual offense is aborted, and in the present case there is positive, compelling proof that an offense was committed,” said the attorney general.”
Conclusion
The respondents are Chinese, and a crime of this severity in their home country carries a death sentence, yet they are contaminating our country. According to President Muhammadu Buhari, “if we don’t destroy corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria”; the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s courts will not in any manner condone corruption.
Source: PunchÂ
