MrCrackles:

Topic

Till they return it!

nuzo:

They aint returning notin' if the nigerian government decides to sweep this crime under the carpet as usual.

MrCrackles:

That is what i am trying to say, till they return the loot, i wont comment further!

jay bee:

What happened to the other returned loots?

The Swiss Government has said it is prepared to assist Nigeria to unravel the mystery surrounding the accounts holding the $150m Halliburton bribes reportedly traced to a bank in Zurich, Switzerland.

The country’s Federal Counsellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Micheline Clamy-Rey, said this at a bilateral meeting with Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, in Abuja on Wednesday.

She said the money had been “blocked” in Zurich following extant banking regulations.

Clamy-Rey said this at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Abuja in a response to our correspondent’s question on the $150m Halliburton bribe money reportedly traced to a Swiss bank.

According to her, Nigeria only needs to take advantage of the opportunity of the Mutual Legal Assistance existing between both countries to request for the reparation of the funds.

Besides, she also disclosed that her country had repatriated $7m, being the balance of the Abacha loot stashed away in Swiss banks after returning a total of $700m.

She said, “Halliburton money of about $150m is blocked in Zurich, but the Mutual Legal Assistance existing between the two countries allows Nigeria to request, and we are ready to assist Nigeria.”

On the Abacha loot, Clamy-Rey said over $700m had already been transferred to the Nigerian government under the Mutual Legal Assistance.

According to her, Switzerland and Nigeria will continue to collaborate under the bilateral agreement even beyond issues of repatriation of stolen funds.

She noted that monies stolen from Nigeria were not only taken to Switzerland, but to other countries, yet the Swiss Government had demonstrated more commitment to ensuring that all the monies were returned.

Maduekwe said the Swiss Government had demonstrated leadership in ensuring that Nigeria‘s war against corruption was sustained.

He said, ”We believe that our relations will go beyond the Abacha loot; because you have shown leadership and given an example on how to assist in the fight against corruption.

“This administration is committed to stamping out corruption, but the Swiss Government provided a benchmark by ensuring that the stolen monies were returned.”

Maduekwe also drew the attention of Clamy-Rey to the issue of migration, noting that Nigeria would be interested in understand Swiss policies on migration.

But Madueke refused to respond to our correspondent’s enquiries on what would be the Federal Government’s specific steps on the offer of help by the Swiss government.

Honda29:

Let the Swiss Government keep the money in trust for Nigeria. They must not release the money to the aninis (notorious criminals) in Abuja claiming to be our leaders.