The Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission yesterday uncovered a large sum of suspected
laundered money in a shop at LEGICO Shopping Plaza, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria
Island, Lagos. The money stashed in several Ghana Must Go bags were in N500 and
N1000 denominations, hidden in a shop awaiting conversion into foreign
currency.
They counted
the money on Facebook Live yesterday (watch here) and now they have confirmed
the money to be to the tune of N448,850,000 (Four hundred and forty-eight
million, eight hundred and fifty thousand naira) only.
Relying on
information provided by a concerned whistleblower, operatives of the Commission
swooped on the shopping complex and sought the identity of the owners of two
shops, LS 64 and LS 67 which were under locks and keys. The shops had signage
of Bureau de Change. Inquiries about the owner of shop 64 indicated he had not
been seen for a long time, as they claimed the shop had not been opened for
business for close to two years. Several calls were put to the owner of shop 67
but there was no response.
The
attention of the plaza’s chairman and some traders were drawn in order to force
the shops open. There was no money found in shop 67, but in shop 64, heaps of
“Ghana Must Go” bags were found loaded on the floor of the shop. When the bags
were unzipped they were found to contain bundles of naira notes totaling
N448,850,000.
Traders
interviewed at the premises claimed they were not aware such money was housed
in there, as the place hardly opens for business.
The
Commission is investigating the matter in order to unravel the owner and source
of the money.
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