Politician linked to 419 scam

2003-02-09 12:46

Johannesburg - A businessman believed to be standing in the upcoming Nigerian elections is wanted in South Africa for trying to con wealthy foreigners out of more than R97m as part of the infamous "419" scam, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.

Phil Okafor - the legal adviser to the South African branch of Nigeria's ruling People's Democratic Party - is wanted on at least nine charges of racketeering and fraud.

The report said the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions was granted a court order this week to seize Okafor's R1.8m home and two luxury cars registered in the name of his South African wife, Yogandrie Naidoo.

Scorpions spokesperson Sipho Ngwema said an arrest warrant was expected to be issued on Monday. The Nigerian is believed to be in his homeland campaigning for the parliamentary elections scheduled for May.

The Scorpions believe Okafor is one of the South African kingpins of the "419" scam, an advance-fee fraud in which foreign businessmen are lured to South Africa by e-mail or fax with promises that they will receive millions of United States dollars in return for paying hefty sums up front.

The article mentioned that in papers before the Johannesburg High Court this week, the Scorpions alleged that Okafor swindled at least nine foreigners with the help of David Seabi, an employee of the German international finance house Commerzbank in Johannesburg.

This week, Debo Sodeke, national secretary-general of the People's Democratic Party's South African chapter, said Okafor was being expelled for "anti-party activities" - which included campaigning to stand in the elections for the opposition party, the All Nigerian People's Party.

Ngwema was not immediately available for comment on Sunday.

- SAPA