Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja
The Federal Government may have
agreed to pay the Government of
Switzerland $79m (N25.2bn) as part
of conditions for the repatriation of
almost $400m (N128bn) recovered
from the family of the late military
ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha.
The Chairman of the Civil Society
Network Against Corruption, Mr.
Olanrewaju Suraj, said this during a
seminar to commemorate the 2016
International Anti-Corruption Day in
Abuja on Friday.

The event was jointly organised by
Nigerian anti-corruption agencies,
the European Union, the United
States and the United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime and had in
attendance senior diplomats and
politicians.


It will be recalled that the Swiss
Ambassador to Nigeria, Eric Mayoraz,
had said in July that his country
would return $321m out of the
Abacha loot to Nigeria.
However, Suraj, who was a member
of a panel of discussants, said the
original figure that was meant to be
returned to Nigeria was about $
400m.
He said the Nigerian Government
had secretly agreed to forfeit $79m
as part of negotiations.
Suraj said this was disgraceful as the
Swiss Government was meant to pay
Nigeria an interest instead of
dictating the terms of agreement.
He said, “Unfortunately, the
government goes to beg countries
to get our money back rather than
making demands, we appeal for the
money and beg them to return it. We
are fed with half information such
that we even assume that we
actually recover the amount stolen.
“I had a very funny experience and it
is still ongoing. The $321m that the
Swiss Government is meant to return
to Nigeria, we discovered three
weeks ago that the original money
was about $400m. The legal process
in Switzerland actually charged the
Nigerian Government about $79m
and that is why we are receiving $
321m.
“The $321m is now to be returned to
Nigeria with the condition that the
World Bank will monitor how the
funds will be spent. I cannot imagine
anything more insulting.”
Attempts to speak with the
spokesperson for the Swiss Embassy,
Mr. Pascal Holliger, proved abortive
as telephone calls were not
responded to while he had yet to
respond to a text message as of
press time.
Also, an inquiry sent to the Office of
the Attorney-General in Switzerland
by email had yet to be responded to
as of press time.
However, it will be recalled that the
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr.
Geoffrey Onyeama, had said in June
that the government of former
President Olusegun Obasanjo had
paid the Swiss Government over $
100m as commission for the return of
Abacha’s loot.
He had said, “If you remember the
Abacha loot in Switzerland at the
time, Obasanjo’s government had to
finally agree to give them 10 per
cent of the amount. This was about $
100m and so they returned $900m to
Nigeria.
“If they (Swiss Government) had not
agreed and said they wanted to
keep the whole money, it would
have been very difficult for us and
that is why the anti-corruption
summit and the initiative of
President Muhammadu Buhari is
really focused on these western
countries to remove some of those
barriers and lengthy procedures that
are in place and make it possible for
these people to delay (the payment)
.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Mines and
Steel Development, Dr. Kayode
Fayemi, has described fighting
corruption as a very expensive task.
He maintained that there was a need
for the government to focus on
crime prevention rather than crime
fighting.
Fayemi, who spoke on the theme,
‘Corruption: An Impediment to the
Sustainable Development Goals, said
Buhari, administration would
promote transparency.
The Country Representative of the
UNODC, Cristina Albertin, lamented
the high level of corruption in
Nigeria and other developing
nations.
She said 37 per cent of Nigeria’s
gross domestic product would be
lost by 2030 if corruption wasn’t
curbed.
A spokesperson for the Swiss
Department of Foreign Affairs,
Noemie Charton, told our
correspondent in an email that he
would find out the situation.
The message read, “Thank you for
your query. I have forwarded it to
our colleagues in charge, and will
get back to you in the course of next
week.”






http://punchng.com/400m-abacha-loot-fg-pay-swiss-govt-79m-commission/

That better be false. What kind of nonsense is that? What kind of deal is that