Savings or criminal money? Man had £150k cash in a holdall

Monday 18 March 2019

The Royal Court trial of a man, who was found to be carrying £150,000 inside a holdall when he was arrested last August, has begun.

He's been charged with knowingly possessing criminal property - a money laundering charge.

Described by Crown Advocate William Giles as a 'cash courier', the man had arrived in Guernsey in his daughter's car via ferry in August last year with the holdall in the boot. 

While he has pleaded not guilty, and claimed the money is his life savings which he religiously carries around, Advocate Giles said the defendant's explanations had been 'lengthy and differing' in interviews.

"We don't know for sure where the money was from - that is not something the prosecution are seeking to establish," Advocate Giles said, "we are just trying to prove it came from generic criminality.

"The evidence points firmly toward him being a cash courier - a mule if you like." 

While the trial has only just begun, it was outlined that the defendant had had no income for some time, and also did not appear to make use of any banks. He is a resident of London, and was travelling to Guernsey for a short trip. This was a key point, Advocate Giles said, when taken into account that more than 50% of the cash was Guernsey money. Why, he asked, would a resident of London with 'no clear ties to the island' have 50% of their life savings in Guernsey money?

The defendant claims he was coming over as a surprise for his daughter because he had recently signed "new investors for an American land deal".

The prosecution will point to text messages inside its evidence bundle to prove the charges.

The trial will continue throughout this week.