Money Laundering: SCUML Raids Hotels, Real Estate Firm

The Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering, SCUML Tuesday April 23, 2003 arrested officials of a real estate firm and two hotels in Abuja for non-compliance with extant regulations mandating Designated Non- Financial Institutions, DNFIs to register with the Unit in line with the anti-money laundering laws. Those arrested in a special operation conducted in conjunction with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC are Isemede Mac-Henry, General Manager/Accountant, First Group Real Estate Company; Fadipe Emmanuel Abiodun, Managing Director, Alexis Hotel and Ekanem Ibok Essien, Managing Director, Rittman Suites.
Aside from enforcing compliance with regulations, Angela Nworgu, Head SCUML said the intelligence-driven raid is aimed at uncovering the beneficial ownership of entities that could be used to launder money within and outside Nigeria.
First Group Real Estate Company which has foreign ownership has been involved in the marketing, promotion and sale of off-shore real estate primarily in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Nworgu called on DNFIs to continue to abide by extant regulations to avoid the wrath of the law.
Section 5 of the Money Laundering Act 2011 require existing DNFIs to submit to the ministry of commerce, within three months from the commencement of the Act, a declaration of their activities and all record of transactions in chronological order, indicating each customer’s surname, forenames and address.
DFNIs include dealers in jewelleries, cars, supermarkets and luxury goods, chartered accountants, audit firms, tax consultants, clearing and settlement companies, legal practitioners, hotels, casinos, or such other businesses as the Federal Ministry of Commerce or appropriate regulatory authorities may from time to time designate.
….Interpol Seeks EFCC Collaboration to Train Officers
The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to collaborate with it in facilitating training for anti-corruption personnel in West and Central Africa.
Mr. Hapaz bin Nazar of the Interpol headquarters, Lyon, France made the request on April 23, 2013 during a courtesy visit to the Commandant of the EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja.
The Interpol officer said they were at the Academy to seek the assistance of the EFCC to host and train participants in a training programme on Anti-Corruption in West and Central Africa.
Ayo Olowoniyi, Commandant EFCC Academy, who received the delegates, expressed his appreciation that such event was coming to Nigeria. He said though the Academy is seen as a baby of the EFCC, it has been organizing training programmes for staff and other stakeholders, including members of the civil society.
Olowoniyi bemoaned the situation where Nigerians are held liable for economic and financial crimes committed abroad even when such culprits are not Nigerians.
Nazar said the proposed training programme was a response to the demand and requests from across the globe for Interpol to play a more active role in the fight against corruption.