#PanamaPapers: Swiss lawyer hired by Nigeria to track Abacha loot fingered
– The one year investigation carried out by Premium Times and other international investigative journalists have revealed that the Swiss lawyer, Enrico Monfrini, hired by the Nigerian government to help track Abacha loot is among those that own companies in offshore tax haven
– Monfrini, who is an influential legal practitioner in Switzerland, is director of 178 companies scattered around Panama and the British Virgin Island
– Former president Olusegun Obasanjo, who hired the lawyer in 2010, said Monfrini helped the federal government to secure the release of N267 billion–$1.34 billion
The protracted investigation carried out by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and more than 100 other global news organisations including Premium Times have revealed that the Swiss lawyer, Enrico Monfrini, hired by the Nigerian government to help track the loot of former military dictator, Sani Abacha, himself operated over 178 companies in offshore tax haven.
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The secret documents revealed that Monfrini was hired in 2000 by the government of former president Olusegun Obasanjo to help track and repatriate over $4 billion allegedly looted by Abacha.
According to the document, Monfrini, who is an influential legal practitioner in Switzerland, is director of 178 companies scattered around Panama and the British Virgin Island.
It was reported that the document did not out rightly incriminate Mr. Monfrini of having committed any crime, but the caveat is the hypocrisy of a man widely respected for his remarkable ability to rip to pieces tax evaders and looters across jurisdictions.
The Swiss lawyer is a founding partner of Monfrini Crettol & Associates, one of the most renowned legal services providers in his country.
The document showed that as at December 2010, Monfrini was discovered to be the director of the following offshore companies in tax havens: Director of 17 PMA (Panama) company in ACT status, Director of 3 BVI company (British Virgin Island) in ACT status, Director of 1 PMA company in CAR status (to others), Director of 38 PMA company in DIS status, Director of 1 BVI in DIS status, Director of 44 PMA company in INA status, Director of 65 PMA company in MOR status, Director of 6 BVI company in MOR status as well as Director of 3 PMA company in REN status.
Premium Times could not ascertain if the federal government is still working with Monfrini till date or whether his contract has long been terminated.
The legal practitioner could not be reached for comments on this story as email sent to him was not replied.
However, Beatrice, his secretary in a telephone conversation hinted that her boss was “on a trip outside of Switzerland.”
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Former president Obasanjo reportedly hired the Swiss lawyer to help recover Abacha loot, which was estimated to be more than $4 billion as at the time. The ex-president announced then that Monfrini helped the federal government to secure the release of N267 billion–$1.34 billion.
A document released by the notorious Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca which became public on Sunday, April 3, has exposed several offshore shell companies secretly owned by public office holders, politicians and celebrities across the world.
These offshore shell companies are set up in a bid to evade tax, launder money and dodge economic sanctions, a motive that is obviously against the laws of any country.
The so-called Panama Papers had so far exposed the offshore holdings of Senator David Mark as he was linked to at least eight offshore shell companies.
The files had also fingered Theophilus Danjuma, a former defense minister in Nigeria, who it was discovered that he has been a long time user of offshore entities, including Eastcoast Investments Inc company.
It was reportedly registered in Nassau, Bahamas, on March 25, 1997, with Mr. Danjuma and Colin Marcel Dixon acting as directors. The company was established to conduct business with Scancem International of Norway – the organisation seeking to expand its activities into Africa and Nigeria in particular.
The files had also exposed the former governor of Delta state, James Ibori, the embattled Senate president, Bukola Saraki and his wife Toyin among other highly placed people.
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