Indian businessman caught with diamonds in luggage

Kinshasa: An Indian businessman was jailed for six months and fined $100 000 (about R767 559,28) by a Kinshasa tribunal for concealing at least eight kilos of rough diamonds in his luggage, a judicial source said on Monday.
Ajudiya Pravin Kumar, a diamond dealer for six years in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), had been wanted by the high court in Gombe, a prosperous community in Kinshasa, for smuggling and illegal possession of diamonds, attempted corruption and fraud.
As well as the prison sentence, "he will also have to pay a fine of $90 000 and $10 000 in damages and interest to the DRC", said the DR Congo's lawyer in the trial, Me Ruffin Lukoo.
The tribunal also ordered the confiscation of the package by the Congolese state.
The lawyer described Pravin Kumar's sentence as "derisory" and said it "does not give a strong message to discourage other fraudsters. We wait for the power of the justice minister (Emmanuel-janvier Luzolo) to lodge a complaint".
Pravin Kumar was arrested on December 10 at Kinshasa airport en route to India.
21/12/09 iOL, South Africa

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Categories: Airports Dec 2009, Foreign Dec 2009