As with the first deal, South Africa’s Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority seized the $5.7 million (about N952 million) for allegedly being the proceeds of illegal transactions, the paper said.
The men landed at Lanseria International Airport, Johannesburg, on September 5 in a private jet from Abuja with the money stashed in three suitcases.
At the time, the South Africa Revenue Service (SARS) said Customs officers became suspicious when the passengers’ luggage were unloaded and put through the scanners.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in South Africa said there was an invoice for helicopters and armaments intended to be used in Nigeria.
Two black plastic suitcases, filled with 90 blocks each containing $100,000 in notes, with combination locks, were seized, as well as two pieces of hand luggage also containing U.S. currency, City Press reported.
The Israeli national, Eyal Mesika, had the combination to open the locks.
Under South African laws, a person entering or leaving the country is expected to carry cash not exceeding $2,300, or the equivalent in foreign currency notes.
The news of the first transaction sparked anger in Nigeria after it emerged that the private jet involved belonged to President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ayo Oritsejafor.
Oritsejafor, a close ally of President Goodluck Jonathan, said the plane had been leased to a third party and he could not be blamed for its schedules.
The Nigerian government later admitted it was behind the arms deal, claiming it acted out of desperation for arms to defeat extremist sect, Boko Haram.
An investigation planned by the Senate into the transaction has yet to begin while the House of Representatives threw out a motion seeking a probe.
The South African newspaper, City Press, said documents in its possession show that the first consignment was personally signed by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, who issued the end-user certificate for the transaction.
An entire “shopping list” was supplied with the certificate, which included everything from helicopters to unmanned aircraft, rockets and ammunition, the newspaper reported.
Sources close to the investigation said the latest transaction was between Cerberus Risk Solutions, an arms broker in Cape Town, and Societe D’Equipments Internationaux, a Nigerian company in Abuja.
An impeccable source said the company paid the R60 million into Cerberus’ account at Standard Bank in South Africa.
Cerberus was previously registered as a broker with the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), but the registration expired in May.
The marketing and contracting permits also expired at the same time.
The company has since applied for re-registration, but the application lay in the NCACC’s mailbox for more than two months.
Sources told Rapport that Cerberus apparently tried to pay the money back to the Nigerian company, after which the bank became suspicious.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit subsequently obtained a court order in the South Gauteng High Court to seize the money.
Cerberus’ lawyer, Martin Hood, declined to comment on the matter.
NPA spokesperson, Nathi Mncube, said though there were no indications that the two transactions were related.
“However, both are now the subject of a criminal investigation and all possible information and connections are being investigated,” Mncube was quoted as saying.
Reacting on Monday, Lagos based constitutional lawyer, Itse Sagay, expressed dismay over reports that South African authorities have again seized another $5.7 million arms money from Nigeria.
In a chat with Daily Independent, Sagay said the latest development has shown that the level of impunity in Nigeria has assumed a different dimension.
“The level of impunity is so high that they are not even discouraged by the fact that they have been caught once. They just think they can carry on with the way they have been doing in Nigeria.
“I think God wants to expose them. The amount of money they have stolen and stashed abroad will be finally exposed and they are being exposed now.
“We are seeing the beginning of the downfall of the people who have wrecked this country,” Sagay said.
A group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), also condemned the development.
In a statement, Director of the Islamic group, Ishaq Akintola, said in Ibadan on Monday that “MURIC is greatly perturbed by this festival of international embarrassments as a result of clandestine misadventures of the Nigerian government.
“We told Nigerians when the first incident occurred that there was more to it than met the eyes, we have been proved right.
“With this second international misconduct, we are convinced that our government has been engaging in this criminal act for long.
“We strongly suspect that billions of dollars have been siphoned outside this country by the powers of today. It cannot be South Africa alone.
“Fortunes must have been illegally shipped to Eastern Europe, Switzerland and South America. Israel must also have been seen as a safe haven by the kleptomaniacs in government.
“It is needless asking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate, they cannot investigate their employer.
“President Jonathan institutionalised corruption when on 5th May, 2014 he described ‘70 per cent of corruption cases’ in Nigeria as ‘common stealing’.
“That statement was meant for Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies. The top echelons of the Federal Government appear to possess the noun ‘thief’ and the verb ‘to steal’.
“Apart from the corruption angle, the involvement of the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in one of the deals is still a curious development.
“It evolves a conspiracy theory capable of igniting tension between Christians and Muslims.
“The National Assembly must not desert the electorate at this crucial hour. Our legislators must ask probing questions on our behalf. There must be no sacred cows. Enough is enough.
“MURIC appeals to the international community not to leave Nigeria alone in these trying times,” the statement said.
0 comments:
Post a Comment