Seized $2.8m: EFCC Seeks Forfeiture
Of Bankers Warehouse
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Enugu Zonal Office,
has filed a motion at a Federal High Court, Enugu, seeking an order for the
interim forfeiture of the $2.8million seized from two men last week.
Also filed
is an affidavit of urgency for the matter to be heard on December 27, 2018,
before a vacation Judge sitting in Port Harcourt.
The Commission on December 20
arrested two persons, Ighoh Augustine and Ezekwe Emmanuel, along with the money
at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. The duo said they work for Bankers
Warehouse. But EFCC suspected they were money launderers.
The suspects told the
EFCC they have been in the business of moving cash for “some notable banks”,
for over six years and that the money they had was for Union Bank Plc, located
at New Market, Onitsha, Anambra State.
The EFCC spokesman , Tony Orilade said
on Monday that Union Bank or its officials were yet to step forward to
establish their claim.
“Efforts are being made to secure warrant for the
detention of the suspects pending when they will be charged to court”, he said.
Bankers Warehouse in a statement at the weekend claimed ownership of the money
and asked the EFCC to apologise and return the money.
The company which said it
is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria to carry out Cash/Asset movement and
Currency Processing said the men arrested were not involved in any money
laundering and were carrying out a legitimate movement of cash.
“We hereby
state emphatically that the movement of this currency was a legitimate
exercise, being carried out on behalf of a legitimate Financial Institution,”
the company said..
“We emphasize that our employees are in no way criminals,
carrying out any act of illegality as the EFCC has tried to portray.
The young
men whose character and reputation have been deliberately soiled by the EFCC
operatives were conducting their legitimate duties as requested by a bank
customer of our company.
“We request for the swift and immediate release of our
employees and our customer’s currency, both detained without proper cause.
“We
also demand an immediate retraction by the EFCC and an apology issued to our
company and our employees whose images have been maligned”.
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