Ex-Guinea minister gets 7-yr sentence in the US for laundering $8.5 million

In one of the several corruption cases around the world tied to Guinea’s mining sector, an ex-minister of the West African country simply identified as Thiam has been sentenced to a seven year prison term by a US court.

Thiam was convicted by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in a Manhattan federal court of laundering $8.5 million in bribes that U.S. prosecutors say he took in exchange for helping a Chinese conglomerate secure mining rights.

Reports say the sentence, as imposed by Judge Cote in Manhattan federal court, was less severe than the more than ten years suggested by federal guidelines.

Cote said she had considered the good that Thiam, a U.S. citizen, had done for his native country when he returned there to take the government job in 2009.

“I find he went to Guinea to help, not to rob it,” the judge said. “I find he did help in many ways.”

Read also: Grace Mugabe’s immunity contested by assaulted South African model

“He saw corruption all around him, and decided ultimately to succumb to corruption,” she said.

Thiam’s lawyer, Aaron Goldsmith, said after the sentencing he would appeal the conviction, adding the sentence was “better than we feared, not as good as we hoped.”

“We feel very strongly that there is a lack of evidence sufficient to prove Mr. Thiam’s intent to accept the payment as a bribe,” Goldsmith said.

Thiam, 50, was convicted by a jury in May of one count of money laundering and one count of engaging in transactions in property with a criminal source.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now