Peace Ben Williams Blog Deeva Interrupted
The Federal Government on Tuesday confirmed the repatriation of the sum of $322.5m to Nigeria by the Swiss Government as part of funds looted by the late former military Head of State, Gen. Sanni Abacha.
The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, confirmed the release of the fund in a statement issued by her Media Adviser, Oluyinka Akintunde.
The minister said the money was paid to the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria on December 18, 2017.
Adeosun also denied blocking the payment of $16.9m fees to two lawyers, being payment for the recovery of the looted funds by the late head of state.
Media reports had alleged that the finance minister wrote a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari blocking the payment of the amount to the lawyers.
But Adeosun stated that there was no time she wrote any letter to the President or any member of the Federal Executive Council on the payment of the lawyers for the Abacha loot recovery.
“She also refuted the flawed media reports of controversy surrounding the Abacha recovery, disclosing that the sum of $322,515,931.83 was received into a special account in the Central Bank of Nigeria on December 18, 2017 from the Swiss Government.
Source: PUNCH
