Says No Controversy on Abacha Funds Recovery
Emmanuel Thomas I Tuesday, April 10, 2018
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun has refuted reports in the media about the ministry writing a strongly worded letter objecting to the payment of $16.9 million fee to two lawyers for the recorvery of funds looted by Nigeria’s ex-military leader, Sani Abacha.
In a statement, the minister dissociated herself and the Federal Ministry of Finance from what she described as malicious and misleading media reports on the Abacha refunds.
“The Minister had at no time written any letter to the President or any member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on the payment of lawyers for the Abacha recovery”, the minister said in the statement signed by Oluyinka Akintunde, Special Adviser on Media & Communications to the minister.
The minister noted that there is no controversy surrounding the Abacha recovery, disclosing that the sum of US$322,515,931.83 was received into a Special Account in the Central Bank of Nigeria on December 18, 2017 from the Swiss Government.
“The attention of the Honourable Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has been drawn to false media reports of a “strongly-worded letter to the President” objecting to the payment of $16.9 million fees to two lawyers for the recovery of Abacha funds.
“The Minister wishes to dissociate herself and the Federal Ministry of Finance from recent malicious and misleading media reports on the Abacha refunds. The Minister had at no time written any letter to the President or any member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on the payment of lawyers for the Abacha recovery.
” She also refuted the flawed media reports of controversy surrounding the Abacha recovery, disclosing that the sum of US$322,515,931.83 was received into a Special Account in the Central Bank of Nigeria on December 18, 2017 from the Swiss Government.
” For the avoidance of doubt, there is no controversy concerning the recovery of the Abacha monies from the Swiss Government.
Signed:
Oluyinka Akintunde
Special Adviser, Media & Communications
to the Hon. Minister of Finance
Federal Ministry of Finance
Tuesday, 10th April, 2018
