Nigeria to Prosecute Officials Named in the Panama Papers Leak

Nigeria to Prosecute Officials Named in the Panama Papers Leak

After months of revelation by the Panama Papers leak, that showed some of the country’s most senior officials, especially senators, complicit in the ownership of offshore assets and companies while holding public office, the Nigerian government has finally decided to investigate the matter.

The Panama Papers are documents leaked from a Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonsecca, which were obtained by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

According to Premium Times, those likely to be probed include senate president, Bukola Saraki and his predecessor, David Mark.

Saraki is already facing trial for corruption and illegal declaration of assets.

The chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Sam Saba, told the news website that the presidency has forwarded the names of some persons mentioned in the leak to the agency for probe and possible prosecution.

“I want to let you know that government has written to us and given us some names based on what they have been reading and hearing regarding that document,” Mr. Saba said.Saba said the CCB, after studying the papers, has questions for some public officers in the country. But he refused to mention the names of officials likely to be probed.

“I think it (Panama Papers) is going to be helpful because already we have some questions for certain public officers, which I will not be able to disclose at the moment. Until they finish answering those questions, I may not be able to discuss it,” he said.

He said it took his agency this long to commence the probe because it did not get hold of the leaked documents.

“I tried to access the document via the internet, but I was required to subscribe and pay some money, which I didn’t have,” Mr. Saba said.

“That was what stalled our effort at the time. But I later asked my counterpart in the ICPC if he was in the picture and he replied in the negative. He, however, advised me to approach PREMIUM TIMES.”