Nigerian businessman faces two to five years in prison for money laundering in Cambodia

A 40-year-old Nigerian businessman has been charged by the municipal court for laundering US currency in Cambodia.

Seng Pesith, a police officer with the anti-terrorism and transnational crimes unit, said the accused Nwach Ukwu, a clothing vendor, was charged by Phnom Penh Municipal Court with money laundering and faces two to five years in prison if convicted.

Mr Pesith said the accused was arrested on at about 10.30am late January, at his rental home in Meanchey district’s Boeung Tumpon I commune.

“He was arrested red-handed after our police raided his house,” he said. “He was arrested based on the confession of another Nigerian man who was his friend and who was arrested earlier this month.”

Mr Pesith added that after his arrest, police seized a cash box, a money printing machine, a laptop, which had samples of US currency.

According to a police report, on December 1 another Nigerian man identified as Goo Bluck Komobia, 35, and his Cambodian wife Kim Srey Khuoch, 28, were arrested after they withdrew $900,000 in laundered money from a local bank in Phnom Penh with the aim of transferring it to the United States.

Mr Bluck Komobia was charged with money laundering and was later sent to prison but his wife was released after cooperating with police.