.(
convicted for money laundering or drug trafficking in any part of the world.
Further, applicant stated that when he was deported to Nigeria, he was detained
and only released after the said allegations had been investigated and proved to
be untrue.
47. These were
damning
allegations about
the
plaintiff and
heightened
defendant's belief that he is a criminal and sought to perpetrate crime within her
jurisdiction. However, these allegations were not proved or substantiated. There
is no document on record which shows that the· plaintiff had been on the list of
wanted persons of the US DEA for drug trafficking. Similarly, there is no evidence
before the Court to prove that plaintiff had been convicted for drug trafficking or
money laundering anywhere in the world. It is necessary to take cognisance of the
fact that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria stated that there is a prima facie case of money laundering. A prima facie
case calls for investigation and prosecution if necessary. It is not conclusive. Since
defendant's investigations exonerated the plaintiff of both crimes (drug trafficking
and money laundering) and there was..i.l1o evidence supporting these allegations,
they remained nothing more than hearsay and bore no evidential weight in this
case. The totality of all these raises strong suspicion of crime or criminal conduct
against the plaintiff. But in law a multitude of suspicions do not ripen into guilt.
CONCLUSION
48. Whereas the Court has found that the plaintiff did not declare the currency on
•
him before leaving the airport to any official of the defendant;
Whereas the Liberia Circuit Court ordered the confiscation of the money pending
investigations into
criminal conduct, if any, against
the
plaintiff, but
the ·
investigations revealed no criminality against the plaintiff;
Whereas the Central Bank held on to the money to ascertain their genuineness as
well as the source of the money, and their investigations found the money to be
genuine and the plaintiff as the true owner;
18