₦airaland Forum

I'm British, Saraki's Wife Tells Seychelles' Investigators Probing Alleged Money Laundering



By Nicholas Ibekwe


https://static.pulse.ng/img/incoming/origs4021683/9250482835-w980-h640/Mrs-Toyin-Saraki.jpg


As investigators in Seychelles enquire about the multi-million dollar assets owned by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, through offshore shell companies in tax havens, his wife, Toyin, who is suspected to have acted as his front, tried to distance herself as a politically-exposed person (PEP) by submitting documents that suggested she was a British national and not a Nigerian.

New records obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and shared with PREMIUM TIMES have revealed that financial intelligence operatives became interested in Mr Saraki's offshore assets uncovered in the Panama Papers investigation published in 2016, to see whether transactions linked to the shell companies were used to launder funds or carry out suspicious activities.

Operatives of the Seychelles Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) are trying to uncover whether or not Mrs Saraki stood as a front for her husband in the ownership of some of the offshore holdings linked to the family.

Two weeks after the Sarakis were exposed as owning undeclared offshore assets in violation of Nigeria's code of conduct regulations, detectives from that country's FIU asked Mossack Fonseca to furnish them with all documents relating to Sandon Developments Ltd, a firm registered in Seychelles under Mrs Saraki's name.

But when contacted by Mossack Fonseca to provide it with documents that adequately identified her, for onward transfer to Seychelles' FIU, Mrs. Saraki sent the law firm her British passport and a statement of her Barclay Bank account, which suggested she was trying to show that as a British national, she could not have been in violation of Nigerian law.

Details of the passport she sent to Mossack Fonseca showed that it was issued on January 17, 2007 and would expire on January 17, 2017.

Mrs Saraki registered Sandon Ltd in 2011 and used it to buy a family property at #8 Whittaker Street, Belgravia, London SW1W 8JQ.

Mr Saraki denied links to the offshore assets in 2016, saying they belonged to his wife's family. But information obtained by PREMIUM TIMES at the time indicated that the senate president merely used his wife as a front, and Seychelles authorities also found the denial unconvincing.

When Mrs Saraki registered Sandon Ltd on January 12, 2011 in Seychelles, she listed Babatunde Morakinyo, a long-term personal aide and friend of Mr Saraki, as a shareholder.

Mrs Toyin Saraki's Passport

Mr Morakinyo was amongst the top aides of Mr Saraki who were identified by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as laundering billions of naira in suspected bribes from the Paris Club refund to Nigerian states in 2017.

While incorporating Sandon Ltd, documents show, Mrs Saraki used two nominee directors, Gudson Limited and Roselle Limited, in order to avoid being identified as the beneficial owner of Sandon.

Nominee directors are sometimes used in tax havens to conceal real owners of companies and assets.

She then made an undertaking indemnifying the Panamanian company "in respect of all claims, demands, actions, suits, proceedings, costs and expenses whatsoever as may be incurred or become payable by you in respect of or arising out of any member or employee or associate of your company or associated companies holding any office, directorship or shareholdings in the company or by reason of or in consequence of any act or decision made by any such person or company in connection with the management and/or administration of the said company."

Shortly after the company was incorporated, Mrs. Saraki used it, in July 2011, to buy the property on Whuttaker Street, Belgravia, London SW1W 8JQ.


https://allafrica.com/stories/201806280166.html

ucheo:
I see nothing wrong here..is she not british? Lets stop playing to the gallery those wey steal we no fit jail them na to waste money go Seychelles.

ucheo:
I see nothing wrong here..is she not british? Lets stop playing to the gallery those wey steal we no fit jail them na to waste money go Seychelles.

Politically exposed persons

Politically exposed persons (PEPs) are individuals whose prominent position in public life may make them vulnerable to corruption. The definition extends to immediate family members and known close associates.

https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/money-laundering-terrorist-financing/high-risk-customers-politically-exposed-persons

As investigators in Seychelles enquire about the multi-million dollar assets owned by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, through offshore shell companies in tax havens, his wife, Toyin, who is suspected to have acted as his front, tried to distance herself as a politically-exposed person (PEP) by submitting documents that suggested she was a British national and not a Nigerian.



https://allafrica.com/stories/201806280166.html

cosby02:
Your name tho����

deomelo:
When crooks get caught, they find crooked ways and means to dodge and avoid justice.

Imagine the wife of the President of the Nigerian Senate saying she's not a Nigerian....even though Nigeria is the source of their ill-gotten wealth

carammel:
Can't one person have dual citizenship? She can be Nigerian by origin at the same time a british by whatever means.

Politically exposed persons

Politically exposed persons (PEPs) are individuals whose prominent position in public life may make them vulnerable to corruption. The definition extends to immediate family members and known close associates.

https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/money-laundering-terrorist-financing/high-risk-customers-politically-exposed-persons

As investigators in Seychelles enquire about the multi-million dollar assets owned by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, through offshore shell companies in tax havens, his wife, Toyin, who is suspected to have acted as his front, tried to distance herself as a politically-exposed person (PEP) by submitting documents that suggested she was a British national and not a Nigerian.



https://allafrica.com/stories/201806280166.html

deomelo:
And thatvyour Buhari is not a more deadly crook right










The woman knows what she's doing, she's a smart crook with vast knowledge per how to game and walk her way around law enforcement and the system.

The issue here is not about her true nationality, it's the real reason why she claimed the UK instead of Nigeria.

She's not naive or simple-minded like many of you lame thinkers.

She's a crook and she was thinking like a crook to get out of jail

FarahAideed:
And thatvyour Buhari is not a more deadly crook right

jayson87:
This stories are sponsored stories.. concocted and made up this year. Saraki is currently suffering image slandering by APC, but he will surely prevail

HungerBAD:
Smart thieves.

The Saraki's are smart, and I give it to them on their skills of dribbling through all the international financial loopholes they have used in plundering from the SGBN, to Kwara state, before eventually getting into the coffers of Nigeria via the Senate.

Saraki's wife's is just the front,and not the problem.

In politics, everybody is a thief. But like Jeffrey Archer said in his book " Honour Among Thieves" , there gets to a certain point in stealing in politics, that you have to start asking if the stealing has not become too much.

Herein lies my problem with the Saraki's.

Dr. Saraki is British by Birth, and a Nigerian by Nationality. The Billions the Saraki's have been looting since 1999 belongs to Nigeria,and not the United Kingdom.

To now start playing the " I am a British" card when confronted with core evidences of their stealing from Nigeria, smacks of people that wants to take us for granted.

This is it,and it has nothing to do with politics. The EFCC should start compiling all evidences they have against the Saraki's,and then share it with other graft agencies around the world, including the British money laundering agency,and even the FBI.

The EFCC should also follow the money trails in Nigeria,and if it leads directly to the wife. Then Mrs Saraki should be arrested,and made to explain how and where the Billions are from, because the Saraki's have turned looting Nigeria into a family affair.

olril17:
what do you have to say about abba kyari?

krendo:
I l [s] ove Toyin Saraki

If you listen to the lady speak you will know she grew up in London

I just think the lady is a world class chick and I pray for a wife like her

Stop listening to people who are so petty to call others thieves without doing your own research

Toyin and Bukola are two silver spoon kids. You can question the source of their parents wealth or be jealous of their privilege but it is ridiculous to call them a family of thieves. The last time I checked they did not steal anything

It is not an offence to have a rich and prominent father! The most important thing is they have dedicated themselves to serve the peopleKPs [/s]

Almaiga:
Saraki and his wife are known thieves. But, their days are numbered. Soon, they will be Jailed.

deomelo:
When crooks get caught, they find crooked ways and means to dodge and avoid justice.

Imagine the wife of the President of the Nigerian Senate saying she's not a Nigerian....even though Nigeria is the source of their ill-gotten wealth

MayorofLagos:
If there was a fear of consequence she would not have claimed a foreign citizenship. In any other country, the number 3 man would have been sacked by the political bureau for having intimacy with foreigner.

We have no such conscience in Nigeria and so we are repeatedly abused by gross indifference from those whose job it is to uphold our dignity.