Alhaji Hearts in Court - Over money laundering charges

Alhaji Sulemana Braimah, popularly known as 'Alhaji Hearts' of Accra Hearts of Oak football fame, and two others, namely, Claribel Ewura Esi Kinful, a cabin crew of Ghana International Airlines and Alhaji Ahmed Tijani, taxi driver, were Wednesday charged with money laundering-related offences before an Accra Circuit Court.

The three were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit crime. Claribel Ewura Esi Kinful was charged with an additional count of concealment of currency, whiles Alhaji Sulemana Braimah and Alhaji Ahmed Tijani were also further charged with an additional count on aiding and abetting money laundering activities.

They pleaded not guilty to all the charges leveled against them respectively.

The court, presided over by Nathaniel Osam, admitted them to bail in the sum of GH¢25,000 with one surety each. The three accused persons were further ordered by the court to report to the BNI every Monday at 2.00pm to assist in further investigations.

The facts of the case as presented to the court by the police prosecutor, ASP George Abavelin, were that on the night of August 8, 2008, a random search was conducted by security officials of the Ghana International Airlines on their flight number GO104, which had arrived at the Kotoka International Airport from London.

In the course of the search, cash in the sum of £59.870 was found concealed in two traveling bags of the first accused person Claribel Ewura Esi Kinful.

On interrogation, ASP Abavelin said, Esi Kinful disclosed that the money was given to her by one George in the UK to be delivered to someone in Accra. She told the security officials that George informed her that on her arrival in Accra, the person would call her on her cellular phone and take delivery of the money. She however, could not provide any information on the said George.

According to the prosecution, in her caution statement, Claribel Ewura Esi Kinful admitted having transacted a deal in a similar manner with the said George on several occasions.

The police prosecutor said on August 14, 2008; while further investigations were ongoing, the second accused person, Alhaji Sulemana Braimah, came to the BNI Headquarters with Alhaji Ahmed Tijani, to claimed ownership of the money seized from Claribel.

The police intimated that according to Alhaji Sulemana, about one-and-a- half years ago he sent £50,000 through one Mushoo to Alhaji Tijani in the UK to buy him a house. When Alhaji Ahmed Tijani was interrogated separately, he disclosed that it was Alhaji Sulemana himself who brought the £50,000 to him in the UK about the same period.

According to ASP Abavelin, due to the discrepancies in the assertions of Alhaji Braimah and Alhaji Tijani, the police were undertaking further investigations to establish their complicity or otherwise in the case involving the sending of the £59,970 from the UK to Ghana. The case has been adjourned to September 10, 2008.