In set above is Mr. Emeka Okpoko, SAN, counsel to the first defendant, Huang Haoyu, a Chinese, after the court session on Friday, last week.
By Ibeawuchi Uwaleke, (Advocatenewsng.com) 09064186047.
A Federal High Court, sitting before Justice Daniel Osiagor in Ikoyi, Lagos will today by 10am continue the hearing in the charge preferred against two Chinese, Huang Haoyu, (Aka, Ken.) and An Hongxa and a Nigerian, Friday Audu, as well as a company, Genting International Company Limited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) alleging money laundering of about N3.4 billion against the defendants.
EFCC is alleging that the amount found in the company’s account, (Genting International), which it is yet to prove, came from a Crypto Currency Wallet Account which constitutes money laundering and which sum forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity to wit: ‘fraud’ and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21 (C), 18 (2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.
The charge sheet contains 12 charges, all bothering on transaction from a Crypto Currency Wallet Account to Genting International Company Limited which according to Nigerian laws is legal and permissible in the country, and the company, Genting International, was also duly registered with Corporate Affairs Commission, (CAC), which account can hold over N50 billion for the company’s operations as a Sports Betting concern.
Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and a Special Adviser on Legal Matters, from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, prepared the charge filed on March 7, 2025, and he is leading the legal team for the Prosecution, (EFCC), in the proceedings in court.
Counsel to the first defendant, Mr. Huang, Aka, Ken, is Mr. Emeka Okpoko, SAN, leading another senior lawyer, Mr. Nnaemeka Amaechina, while Mr. Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN, is representing the second defendant, the Nigerian, Engineer Friday Audu and the third defendant, Mr. Hongxa, another Chinese, is being represented by Mr. Adeniyi Joshua, while the fourth defendant, Genting International Company Limited is being defended by Mr. Edwin Anikwem, a Lagos-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN.
Last week, the Prosecution ended its examination-in-chief with its second witness, Mr. Garba Alhassan, a Bureau D’ Change operator, who allegedly made all the transactions to the Genting International company account from the Crypto Currency Wallet Account owned by one Sen, another Chinese, who is now at large, but Alhassan claimed that it was Ken, the first defendant, that made all the Dollar transfers to him to change into Naira for the benefit of Genting International company.
On Friday last week when the Defence opened its cross-examination on the second prosecution witness, Alhassan, the first salvo was shot by the counsel to Ken, Mr. Okpoko, SAN, who asked him whether he was professionally trained as a bureau d’ change operator, which he answered in the negative, adding that he learned the operation on the job which he has done for the past 10 years.
Alhassan also said he is not the owner of the Bureau D’ Change company he works, but just a staff and does his transactions with customers who approach him to transact on foreign exchange or sell Crypto Currency.
Asked whether dealing in Crypto Currency was legal or not in Nigeria at the time he was making the transactions from a Crypto Wallet Account to Genting International bank account, he said he was not aware, all he knew was that he was carrying out a genuine business, but was not in the know whether dealing in Crypto Currency was legal or not.
On the source of the funds he was transferring to the Genting account, Alhassan said all he knew for sure was that the money was coming from Sen, but through Ken whom he has personal contact with and who introduced him to Sen.
Alhassan also claimed that he was meeting the Chinese group in Sen’s house in Banana Island, Lagos, but under further cross examination, he denied it, adding that it was Ken’s house they were meeting and not Sen’s house where they had dinner several times.
On the period when all the transactions were made, Alhassan said he could not recall, but when reminded by Mr. Okpoko, SAN, counsel to the first defendant, Ken, that between August and December, 2024 when most of the transactions were made by him, the first defendant, Ken was not in Nigeria, he flatly said he was not aware, adding that all he knew was that he was dealing in foreign exchange with Ken and Audu any time they contacted him.
Concluding his cross examination, Mr. Okpoko, SAN, put it to Alhassan, the bureau de change operator, that he decided to robe in Ken in the case and came to witness against him because he knew that Mr. Sen whom he had one on one relationship with and also received all the Dollars he sent to him which he was transferring to others, is now at large, he denied it, saying: “That is not true”.
The cross examination continues today July 8, 2025 with the second defendant’s counsel, Mr. Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN, taking on Alhassan Garba, the second prosecution witness.
