Abacha family pays back $168m
2002-01-04 09:54
Abuja - The family of Nigeria's former military head of state, General
Sani Abacha, has reimbursed the government $168 million out
of billions allegedly looted when he was in power, an official
statement said Thursday.
The payment, made two weeks ago, "was made from an Abacha family
frozen bank account in Luxembourg," said the statement issued by
presidential spokesperson Tunji Oseni.
Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998, is
accused of having diverted three billion dollars of public money
into secret accounts primarily in London, Switzerland,
Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.
In May 2000, eight accounts totalling some $620 million
were confiscated at the formal request of the Nigerian justice
ministry to Luxembourg authorities.
Nigeria claims these funds were embezzled from public coffers by
the dictator and his cronies.
The bank accounts in question had been opened in the name of
seven off-shore companies incorporated in the British Virgin
Islands.
The companies- as well as two of Abacha's sons, Mohammed and
Abba - filed an appeal to free the funds, arguing that the Nigerian
government had lodged the freeze request for purely political
purposes.
A Luxembourg administrative tribunal rejected the argument.
Former finance minister under Abacha's regime, Anthony Ani, has
refunded some $13.7 million to the Nigerian government, the
statement also said. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA