In Beijing fake dollars are ‘cultural’, Chinese says in court

A Chinese was sentenced to serve one year in jail or pay a fine of Sh100,000 after admitting he was carrying fake dollars in his luggage.

Shi Yang Yu Jung, 33, had counterfeit 100 dollar bills at JKIA on August 10 that amounted to about Sh250,000. Jung was found with the dollar bills when his luggage was checked by airport security minutes after alighting from an Abu Dhabi flight.

Through his lawyer Tom Wachakana, Jung told the court he was on holiday in Kenya for a month and was keeping the notes as ‘cultural papers.’

He claimed the paper notes were from a “legitimate” company in China and were not meant for foreign exchange or buying goods in Kenya.

“In our country, it is not an offence to posses the (cultural) paper and it is seen as normal practice,” he said.

He was however remorseful and pleaded with the court for a lenient sentence since he was a first offender.