LILONGWE-(MaraviPost) – The Lilongwe Magistrates Court has on Wednesday put a Malawian businessman of Indian origin, Iqbar Sodagar Moinuddian Mohmad on custodial charge for attempting to externalize foreign currency.
The court has however set January 11, 2017 as the day the suspect will be formally charged with three counts, namely; illegal possession of foreign currency, attempting to externalize forex and money laundering.
This means that Mohmad will remain in police custody till next week when the state is expected to charge him.
Speaking in an interview with The Maravi Post at court premises, Ishmael Wadi, a lawyer representing Iqbar said the court will decide on the course of action.
Wadi, a former Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) during the late President Bingu regime added that his client was cooperating with the state on the matter.
“Let’s just wait till next week when the court will formally charge my client. Today the court has just given custodial charge, meaning Mr. Mohmad will remain in police custody”, said Wadi in brief.
Mohmad was on Friday, December 30, 2016 arrested at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in the capital Lilongwe for attempting to externalize foreign currency including 2, 015 British Pounds, US$ 622, 820, and 15,860 Euros which valuing with the local currency is MK540 million.
The suspect was arrested at the departures Lounge before boarding an Aircraft to Dubai through Ethiopian Airways.
Iqbar, who holds an Indian Passport number Z3216835, refused to let his bag go through the X-ray machine or be physically searched by the Police Officers manning the checkpoint.
The Asian businessman was also found with 15 breaks of Gold weighing 14 kilograms which was concealed and wrapped in specially designed materials in order to beat the normal X-ray machine system.
Born in 1979, Mohmad hails from a place called Maharashtra in Mumbai, India but he has been staying at Area 2 in Lilongwe for nearly twenty years with no any personal and permanent building or house.
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