The Community Court of Justice (CCJ) of ECOWAS based in Abuja, Nigeria, has awarded the Republic of Liberia 25 percent of an undeclared 508,200 United States Dollars confiscated from Mr. Valentine Ayika, a Nigerian businessman, at the Roberts International Airport in Harbel, Margibi County, Liberia in September 2006.
In its ruling in Abuja on Friday, June 8, 2012, the ECOWAS Court also ordered Liberia to return the rest of the money to Mr. Ayika, as its investigation showed that he was not guilty of money laundering, the charge for which he was being investigated in Liberia.
The Court said while it was true that Mr. Ayika violated the laws of Liberia by not declaring the money before entering the country, it was not proven that he was involved in money laundering.
The Court also ruled that Liberia pay 20,000 United States Dollars to the Plaintiff to cover the cost he incurred during the trial, and return Mr. Ayika’s passport which was seized.
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