Yusuf Alli

Investigations by our correspondent indicated that the Crown Prosecution in the United Kingdom had filed the list of charges at the Bow Street Magistrates’ Court on December 19, 2005.

Alamieyeseigha was arrested at the Heathrow Airport, London, on September 15 for allegedly laundering over £1million.

On October 14, the Southwark Crown Court granted the former governor bail on six conditions, including the seizure of his passport.

But on November 21, 2005, Alamieyeseigha jumped bail and fled to Nigeria.

The Bow Street Magistrates’ Court in London on December 8 issued a warrant for the suspect’s arrest.

Although the former governor was removed from office on December 10, 2005, there had been a diplomatic deadlock on whether he should be extradited to London for trial or not.

Alamieyeseigha, however, on December 15 applied for a visa to return to London but the British High Commission in Nigeria rejected his application.

As at Thursday, findings showed that it appeared the problems over Alamieyeseigha’s extradition were being resolved.

It was learnt that the charges were filed at the court in anticipation of the extradition of Alamieyeseigha to the UK.

Out of the charges, 28 border mainly on suspected cases of money laundering and the one-count charge is on his jumping of bail on November 21.

Most of the cases of money laundering were committed between December 14, 2001 and September 28, 2005.

The former governor will be tried under four laws in the United Kingdom.

These laws are, the Bail Act 1976; Criminal Attempts Act 1981; Justice Act 1988 and Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

A copy of the papers filed by the Crown Prosecution, exclusively obtained by The PUNCH further revealed that the 29 allegations against Alamieyeseigha are divided into three existing charges and 26 additional charges.

The three existing broad charges read:

• That he on or about the 14th December 2001 concealed or disguised property, namely a credit of £420,000.00 received into his account at the Midland Bank Plc (now the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Plc), which was, or in whole or in part directly or indirectly represented, his proceeds of criminal conduct for the purpose of avoiding prosecution for an offence to which Part VI of the Act applies. Contrary to Section 93C(1)(a) of the Criminal justice Act 1988;

• That he on or about the 22nd March 2002 concealed or disguised property, namely a credit of £475,724.08 paid into the account of Nedd and Co solicitors, which was, or in whole or in part directly or indirectly represented, his proceeds of criminal conduct for the purpose of avoiding prosecution for an offence to which Part VI of the Act applies. Contrary to Section 93C(1)(a) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988;

• That he on or before the 15th September 2005 concealed, disguised, converted or transferred criminal property namely monies in Sterling and United States dollars, amounting to a total value of £73,749,16 which constituted his benefit from criminal conduct or represented such a benefit in whole or in part whereby directly or indirectly and which he knew or suspected constituted or represented such a benefit. Contrary to Section 327(1) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Some of the additional charges include:

• That he on or about the 1st November 2004 concealed, disguised, converted or transferred criminal property namely the sum of £949,763.65 debited from the account of Santolina Investment Corporation with the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc and dispatched to Berndadt, Vukic, Potash and Getz at the First National Bank, Cape Town, South Africa.

• That he on or about the 30th August 2005 attempted to conceal, disguise, convert or transfer criminal property namely the sum of £1,853,849.73 from the account of Santolina Investment Corporation with the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc and to Joseph Kokkinos and Co (Clients Account) in Cyprus at the Cyprus Popular Bank which constituted his benefit from criminal conduct or represented such a benefit in whole or in part whereby directly or indirectly and which he knew or suspected constituted or represented such a benefit. Contrary to Section 1(1) of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981.

• That he on or about the 28th September 2005 concealed, disguised, converted or transferred criminal property namely monies in Sterling and United States Dollars, amounting to a total value of £73,749.16 which constituted his benefit from criminal conduct or represented such a benefit in whole or in part whereby directly or indirectly and which he knew or suspected constituted or represented such a benefit. Contrary to Section 327(1) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

• That he on 8th December 2005 having been released on conditional bail in criminal proceedings failed without reasonable cause to surrender to Bow Street Magistrates’ Court. Contrary to Section 6 of the Bail Act 1976.

The PUNCH, Friday, December 30, 2005