Justice Akintayo Aluko handed down the sentence after Sunmonu, who was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, pleaded guilty to a two-count money laundering charge.
According to the EFCC, Sunmonu acted as a middleman in 2023 and attempted to disguise the source of ₦16 million suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities by converting the money into a black 2018 G-Wagon Jeep.
The commission said the offence violated provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Following his guilty plea, EFCC counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa, reviewed the facts of the case before urging the court to convict and sentence the defendant in accordance with the law.
Justice Aluko subsequently found Sunmonu guilty and sentenced him to four years’ imprisonment, with an option of a ₦1.8 million fine.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of the black G-Wagon Jeep and a mobile device belonging to the convict to the Federal Government.
In a separate development, the court convicted four Bureau de Change operators for engaging in illegal foreign exchange transactions.
The four convicts — Umar Muhammad Lamido, Yusuf Musa Yusuf, Abdulmuhimin Mahmud and Muhammed Musa — were prosecuted by the EFCC on separate one-count charges relating to unlawful foreign exchange operations.
They all pleaded guilty to the charges, prompting the EFCC counsel to present the facts of the cases and urge the court to impose appropriate sentences.
Justice Aluko subsequently sentenced each of the four BDC operators to 12 months’ imprisonment, with an option of a ₦100,000 fine.
The EFCC said the latest convictions underscore its commitment to enforcing financial regulations and bringing individuals involved in economic and financial crimes to justice.
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