The Director of Public Prosecutions v Dumebi Brenda Okonjo and Anthony C Osomade

Amount Forfeited

€14,222.25

Court Date

30 November 2012

Venue

Dublin Circuit Court

Judge

Martin Nolan

Summary:

On the 30 November 2012, Dublin Circuit Court ordered the forfeiture to the Exchequer of cash amounting to Stg£12,645 (€14,222.25) pursuant to Section 39, Criminal Justice Act 1994, as amended by Section 21, Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2005, on the grounds that it was proven on the balance of probabilities to represent the proceeds of crime, or was intended for use in criminal conduct.

On 9 October 2010 Revenue Enforcement Officers at Dublin Airport seized and detained the cash from Dumebi Brenda Okonjo, a Nigeria-born, Italian national. When questioned she stated that the money was her own, to be used to purchase human hair from an unnamed person in Amsterdam. Some months later she claimed it belonged to her partner, Anthony Osomade, a Nigeria-born, Dutch national and was being used to pay invoices for a freight-shipping business he had been operating out of Amsterdam since 2008. Despite being requested to do so, Mr Osomade failed to submit Returns of Income to his Inspector of Taxes. In addition there were strong links to another case where cash had been forfeited to the State.

Following an investigation by Revenue’s Investigations and Prosecutions Division, a file on the matter was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions who ordered the forfeiture proceedings.

The application at the Circuit Court was opposed by Mr. Osomade and Ms Okonjo. However the judge ordered that the cash be forfeited to the State as the explanations given did not stand up to scrutiny.