The Federal Government yesterday confirmed receipt of $322,515,931.83million from Swiss government as part of the recovered fund looted by former late Head of states, Gen. Sani Abacha.
Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who confirmed receipt of the fund in a statement by her Media Assistant, Oluyinka Akintunde said the money was paid into the Central Bank of Nigeria’s special account on December 18, 2017, by the Swiss government.
This is as the Minister refuted a report by a medium, that she blocked payment of $16.9 million fees to two lawyers for the recovery of the looted funds.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Minister 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.”
Also, she refuted 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,” she said.
