The Court of Appeal in the Sokoto Division has sentenced two Chinese nationals, Mr. Meng Wei Kun and Mr. Xu Kuai, to six years imprisonment on two of the three counts against them. The counts border on conspiracy, money laundering, and attempted bribery of N50 million brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC had accused the convicts of making cash payments of N50 million, which exceeded the amount authorized by law, without going through a financial institution. The payments were allegedly made to one Abdullahi Lawal, the then Zonal Head of EFCC Sokoto, in a bid to compromise an ongoing investigation involving China Zhongao Nigeria Ltd.

Initially, a Federal High Court in Sokoto discharged and acquitted the respondents. However, in a unanimous judgment, Justice Abubakar Mahmud Talba, on the appeal of the EFCC against the Federal High Court’s judgment, found the respondents guilty of counts one and two.

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Justice Talba further sentenced the duo to three years imprisonment each on the counts, with an option of N10 million fine on each count. He held that the EFCC had proved counts one and two of the charge before the Federal High Court beyond reasonable doubt but agreed with the lower court on count three and struck it out on the grounds that a similar charge was pending before the Sokoto High Court.

While delivering the judgment, Justice Talba emphasized that conspiracy is a distinct offense, and even if the commission of the actual offense is aborted, it still stands. He also expressed disappointment in the trial judge’s initial judgment, stating that it was like a fiction and created doubts in his mind.

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Justice Talba concluded by saying that the respondents are Chinese, and an offense of this gravity in their home country attracts the death penalty. He further reiterated that the courts of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will not condone corruption in any way, and as President Muhammadu Buhari has said, “if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.”