4 men fined 40,000afs each in money-laundering case

KABUL (Pajhwok): The appellate court of the Anti-Corruption Justice Center (ACJC) on Tuesday fined four individuals in a money-laundering case and confiscated $300,000 from them.

The prosecutor in the case told the public hearing in Kabul that Noorullah, Ghulam Jilani, Haji Noorullah and Ali Mohammad had been arrested red handed, but the appellate court declared them innocent.

The prosecutor said the four individuals had skillfully hidden $299,950 in women’s clothes and they wanted to transfer the money from New Delhi to Kabul.

He said two of the accused were detained at Kabul airport and the two others were arrested later.

However, Mohammad Sayed Sayed, defense lawyer of the accused, said no evidence was produced to prove his clients were involved in money laundering.

He said his clients were running dried fruits business and they transferred their money in cash to Kabul due to high transaction fee at banks.

Sayed said Noorullah was a moneychanger while the three others ran dried fruits business.

Anisa Rassouli, head of the ACJC appellate court, declared the judicial team’s decision based on the defense lawyer’s arguments.

She fined Ghulam Jilani, Noorullah, Mohammad Ali and Haji Noorullah 40,000 afghanis each for illegal transfer of money and ordered the $299,950 confiscated.

Rassouli said the accused still have the right to appeal against the verdict.

mds/ma