Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability
Project (SERAP) has urged the President of the United States of America (USA),
Donald Trump, to attach and release to Nigeria, some $500 million worth of
US-based proceeds of corruption traced to former Nigerian dictator, late
General Sani Abacha.
SERAP, which made this request in an open
letter it send to the US President, also urged President Trump to initiate
discussions with the Nigerian government to fulfill these objectives within an
agreed framework and timeline.
The organisation in the letter dated 3
February 2017 and signed by the organization’s US Volunteer Counsel Professor
Alexander W. Sierck and executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni, also wants the
Trump’s Administration to instruct the Justice Department to initiate civil
asset forfeiture proceedings in regard to the $500 million in assets.
SERAP further stated, “these proceeds are
separate from the $480 million of Abacha-origin funds that have been forfeited
to the US under an August 2014 US federal district court order. SERAP’s request
is fully consistent with the UN Convention Against Corruption, which both the
US and Nigeria have ratified.”
“The US Department of Justice must promptly
initiate civil asset forfeiture proceedings against these proceeds so as to
fulfill several non-controversial commitments by the US to assist Nigeria in
recovering assets looted by former Nigerian government officials,” the
organisation.
The letter, a copy of which was sent to the
US ambassador to Nigeria Stuart Symington, and US Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson, reads in part, “Any bilateral discussions between the US and Nigeria
concerning these assets should include clear acknowledgement of the significant
role that civil society plays in asset recovery matters.
“To that end, the respective governments
ought to commit to promptly sharing information with relevant civil society
organizations on stolen assets of Nigerian origin located in the US or
otherwise subject to US jurisdiction. This proposed commitment is similar to
one between the US and Kenya as well as consistent with Articles 46(4) and 56
of the UN Convention Against Corruption.
“SERAP notes that Article 51 of the UN
Convention against Corruption provides for the return of “corrupt” assets to
countries of origin as a fundamental principle. Article 43 provides likewise.
Similarly, under Articles 47(3)(a) and (b) states parties have an obligation to
return forfeited or confiscated assets in cases of public corruption, as here,
or when the requesting party reasonably establishes either prior ownership or
damages to the states.
“In SERAP’s judgment, some or all of these
requirements have been met with respect to the $500 million in proceeds
described above. A resolution adopted by the Conference of States Parties to
the UN Convention Against Corruption in Panama in November 2013 reaffirms this
obligation, by requiring state to make “every effort” to return such proceeds.
to the victim state.
“Nigeria’s Presidential Advisory Committee
Against Corruption has recently informed SERAP that the US Government has
identified another $500 million or so proceeds of Nigerian corruption subject
to US jurisdiction,” SERAP stressed.
It would be recalled that last month the
Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Professor
Itse Sagay had raised the alarm that Nigeria risked losing another $550m
recovered from the Abacha family to the government of United States.
Sagay said that the amount represented a
separate tranche from the earlier $480m forfeited to the US following a court
judgment. According to him, “Nigeria presently stands to lose another $550m
recovered from the Abacha family to the US, contrary to the earlier promise by
the US to return same to Nigeria.
Comments