A woman Herberlist, Williams Chikamson Amsy, is being tried before a Federal High Court, Lagos, over alleged stealing, obtaining by false presence and concealing proceeds of unlawful activities of the sum of N140 million.
The Enugu State born-woman herberlist is being tried before the court presided over by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, alongside her accomplice, Blessing Chima, by the operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department ForceCID Annex Alagbon-Ikoyi Lagos, in a charge marked FHC/L/709c/24.
In the charge, the prosecutor, Barrister S. O. Ayodele, alleged that the two defendants committed the offences sometimes in July 2024, in Lagos.
The prosecutor alleged that woman herberlist received, acquired, used, retained and took possession a total sum of N140 million, from her accomplice, Blessing Chima, and part of the money stolen from one Mr Lanre Afebuameh.
She was also accused of concealing, removing and transferring the said sum which was proceeds of unlawful activities.
The herberlist accomplice, Blessing Chima, was alleged to have fraudulently obtained and stole the sum of N75 million from Mr. Afebuameh.
She was also accused of converting the mentioned sum to her personal used.
The police said the alleged acts of the two defendants, contravened Section 1(1)(c) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act 2006, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
The offences also contravened sections 18(1) 2(d) and 20 (a)&(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. And section 383 and punishable under section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Both the woman herberlist and her accomplice have pleaded not guilty to the charge, and are currently on bail.
Meanwhile, hearing of the matter was brought to an abrupt end today, upon the collapse of the woman herberlist accomplice, Blessing.
She collapsed while the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) was narrating to court the outcome of his investigation on the matter.
Further hearing of the matter has been adjourned to October 27 and 28.
Parts of the amended charges against the defendants read: “That you Blessing Chima ‘F’ on the 4th and 5th day of July 2024, in Lagos within the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did by false pretense and with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Twenty Five Million Naira (N25, 000, 000: 00k) and the sum of Fifty Million Naira (N50, 000, 000:00k) respectively from one Mr Lanre Afebuameh under the guise of exchanging the aforementioned sum of money to Chinese -Yen which you will send to his Clients in China , a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (c) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act 2006, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
“That you Williams Chikamson Amsy ‘F’ on the same date, time and place, and in the aforementioned Judicial Division, did conceal, removed from jurisdiction, transferred to nominees the sum of One Hundred and Forty Million Naira (N140, 000, 000: 00k) part of which belongs to one Mr Lanre Afebuameh which was stolen from him by one Blessing Chima ‘F’, which you reasonably ought to have known or suspected the aforementioned Blessing Chima ‘F’ to have engaged in an unlawful activity, or reasonably ought to have known or suspected that the aforementioned sum of money directly or indirectly represents another person’s proceed and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 20 (a)&(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
