Airport worker thought nearly €3,000 in crime earnings was part payment for car he sold to man in Nigeria, court hears
A Dublin Airport worker who had nearly €3,000 in crime earnings in his post office account thought it was payment for a car he had sold to a man in Nigeria, a court heard.
Haruna Ayuba Gimba (60) had been paid €1,000 for the car, which he had sold for €4,000 and shipped to Nigeria in 2019, but claimed he had been waiting for nearly two years for the balance to be paid.
Judge Stephanie Coggans ordered Gimba to donate €500 to the court Poor Box and she struck out the charge, leaving him without a conviction.
The defendant, with an address at Claristown, Julianstown, Co Meath, admitted possessing, transferring or acquiring €2,950, which was the alleged proceeds of crime, in his An Post account on September 6, 2021.
Sergeant Shane Griffin told Balbriggan District Court that Citibank reported a potential fraud to gardaí on September 24, 2021.
Sgt Griffin said that an individual in Brussels had been the victim of a fraud email scam, and a total of €2,950 had been taken from their account and transferred through a number of transactions into Gimba's post office account.
Defence solicitor Paul Molloy said Gimba was careless and reckless, but he never had any intention of committing a crime.
Mr Molloy said Gimba had bought a vehicle in Ireland in 2019 for €800 and had sold it to an individual in Nigeria, at a cost of €4,500.
He initially received €1,000, and was awaiting the remainder.
Mr Molloy said Gimba had given his bank account details to another party to allow for the transfer of these funds, and he believed the €2,950 was the rest of the car money.
Detective Sergeant Shane Dervan, who investigated the matter, acknowledged that Gimba was interviewed and repeatedly told gardaí he had initially received €1,000 for the car, and that he had been waiting on a further €3,000.
Sgt Dervan said that the car, a Toyota Corolla, had been registered in Gimba’s name, but the vehicle was no longer registered, and gardaí were unable to prove or disprove Gimba’s claim that it had been shipped to Nigeria.
Mr Molloy asked the judge to be as lenient as possible, saying Gimba, a father of four, was originally from Nigeria and had lived in Ireland for 20 years.
Mr Molloy said Gimba had worked hard since coming to Ireland, and was now in a position of responsibility in his job. A conviction would affect his job, as he required garda clearance, the court heard.