7th March, 2012
An attempt to wire two million pounds to Nigeria by suspected fraudsters has been foiled by the UK Police.
One of the fraudsters, Ansumana Kamara, who is standing trial alongside seven other conspirators at the Southwark Crown Court, attempted to wire two million pounds to Nigeria to cover his tracks but was detected.
The fraudsters, a London court was told Tuesday, tricked the Olympic Delivery Authority to pay £2.3 million ($3.6 million) into an account operated by Kamara.
The ODA, responsible for planning and building venues at the 2012 London Games, was contacted by the group pretending to work for leading construction firm Skanska.
They were told the company, which has worked on numerous 2012 projects, was changing its bank account details and that all future payments should be made to the new account.
The authority then made a payment of £2.3 million into the account belonging to Kamara.
After the money was paid, Kamara then made a series of transactions to try to cover his tracks, prosecutor James Dawes said.
Kamara also put money into accomplices’ accounts before attempting to wire a cheque for £2 million to Nigeria.
It is alleged the eight defendants then laundered the money.
“People involved in money laundering take great effort to try and disguise the money trail,” said Dawes. “This case relates to what they tried to do with the £2 million to try and break the money trail.
“It involved taking it out in cash, but the plan was to break the trail by other means to send the money out of the country to Nigeria.”
Dawes told jurors that fraudsters also tried to con Dorset County Council, the authority responsible for the Olympic sailing site in Weymouth, south-west England, and another construction company called Minerva, in a similar manner but were unsuccessful in their attempts.
However, the court was told they managed to defraud £86,645 from Universal Builders Supply using the same tactic.