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From: Bob Minton <bob@minton.org>
Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 11:32:06 -0400
Organization: The Lisa McPherson Trust, 33 N. Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater, Florida 33755 Telephone (727) 467-9335, Fax (727) 467-9345
Message-ID: <e40jhsckp8sj5he3dcsa5p2t4p2j5aisho@4ax.com>
NIGERIA TODAY ONLINE Daily briefing on key political & economic events affecting Nigeria Available by fax and e-mail subscription Monday-Friday (Except public holidays) Provided by Phone News International, 18 Hyrstdene, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 6NR Tel: +44(0)208 406 7730 or +44(0)208 279 2078 Mobile:
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Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 00:10:40 EDT
Confessions of Mohammed Abacha:
How We Stole $700 million
"My father gave me $700 million for safe keeping in my house"
The commercial court in the Queen’s Bench Division of the British High Court of Justice is hearing the cases between Compagnie Noga D’Importation et D’Exportation SA (claimant) and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited and others (de-fendants) and between Compagnie Noga D’Importation et D’Exportation SA (claimant) and the Govenment of the Russian Federation and others (defendants) as well as that between the attorney-general of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Federal Government of Nigeria (claimants) and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited and other (defendants).
For four days last month, April 3, 4, 5 and 6, a team of British lawyers with Mrs. J. Finnamore-Crorkin of the British deputy high commission acting as examiner, examined and cross-examined Mohammed Abacha at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, Lagos, in connection with the case.
Newswatch magazine obtained a copy of the transcript of Abacha’s examination and cross-examination. In the following pages, we publish, unedited, what transpired on the first day between Abacha and the lawyers.
Abacha and four others are on trial for the attempted murder of Alex Ibru, publisher of the Guardian group of newspapers, who was attacked by gunnmen on the streets of Lagos in 1996. Ibru served the late head of state, General Sani Abacha, as his minister of internal affairs from 1994-1995.
One man who features prominently in Abacha’s testimony is Bagudu. His full name is Abubakar Atiku Bagudu. He is a business associate of the Abachas who is also being investigated by a Swiss court. His testimony before that court formed our cover story in our issue of April ... In it, Bagudu told the court how he and the Abachas looted the Nigerian treasury.
Mohammed Abacha admits that much in his evidence here. He tells the lawyers of the many companies owned either solely by the late elder brother Ibrahim and his brothers and or by them and their business associates. There were about twelve of them. Abacha told the lawyers that his father once gave him (we suggest you sit down at this point before reading further) $700 million for safe keeping at his Abuja residence. Bagudu later arranged for the transfer of this money into various accounts owned by the Abachas in foreign banks.
The federal government is in hot pursuit of the Abacha loot stashed in foreign banks in Europe and the United States of America. Here is some irrefutable evidence that the government is not chasing shadows or accusing the Abachas of financial crimes they did not commit.
UNEDITED INTERVIEW Railton: The topic I want to ask you about now is security votes, security funds. Do you understand what I mean by that?
Abacha: I do.
Q: What do you understand me to mean?
A: Security votes, security funds, are part of monies that were returned.
Q: Part of monies that were withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria under security cover?
A: I understand what you mean.
Q: Do you understand?
A: I hear you.
Q: Ostensibly for security purposes?
A: I understand.
Q: Carried out by your father and his National Security Adviser, Mr. Gwarzo?
A: I understand.
Q: Do you also understand from documents that you have seen that the CBN records reveal the amount involved to be about $21/2 billion?
A: I have seen that, yes.
Q: You have seen that in the SIP’s report?
A: I have, yes.
Q: Which you have had a chance to read?
A: I believe so. I have seen it.
Q: I think you have accepted that you received some of these funds from your father?
A: I did, yes.
Q: We see that in para. 13 of your witness statement?
A: Yes.
Q: How much was given to you, so far as you can recall?
A: What reference do you want me to look at?
Q: There is no need for you to turn up any reference. So far as you can recall how much was given to you by your father in this connection?
A: I think I did state that aspect, as much as was returned.
Q: And in what form was it given to you?
A: Cash.
Q: Cash?
A: Correct.
Q: Cash only?
A: Only.
Q: Over what period?
A: Several years.
Q: Beginning when?
A: ’96, I think.
Q: Beginning ’96?
A: I think so.
Q: Or beginning earlier?
A: ’96.
Q: Your father became Head of State, was it in 1993?
A: ’93, correct.
Q: It was the end of 1993?
A: That is correct.
Q: Did he provide you with any of these monies in 1993 or 1994?
A: No.
Q: None in 1995?
A: No.
Q: None at all?
A: No.
Q: So you have no recollection of anything before 1996?
A: No.
Q: What did you do with the funds that you received?
A: They were kept in my custody.
Q: I am sorry?
A: They were kept in my custody.
Q: Kept in your custody?
A: Yes.
Q: Where?
A: Initially they were kept in my custody.
Q: Where?
A: I can’t disclose that aspect.
Q: Why can you not disclose that aspect?
A: They were kept in my custody in cash.
Q: Why can you not disclose where they were kept?
A: Okay, they were kept in my house.
Q: Kept in your house?
A: Correct, yes.
Q: Which house?
A: In Abuja.
Q: Which house in Abuja?
A: In the same house I did explain to you, in the office.
Q: Just so that we do not get mistaken as to which that is, what was its address?
A: In Suez Crescent, I think.
Q: What number?
A: 18.
Q: You keep it in cash. Did you then do anything with it?
A: Yes, I then gave it to Mr. Bagudu who in turn transferred them.
Q: Transferred them where?
A: Abroad.
Q: What is your recollection as to the total sums involved?
A: I think we did return about 700 million.
Q: 700 million what?
A: Dollars.
Q: Us dollars?
A: Correct.
Q: So your recollection is that US$700 million, or thereabout --- A: Little above that maybe Q: --- is delivered to you in cash?
A: Yes.
Q: By "cash" do you mean bank notes?
A: Bank notes, correct.
Q: What sort of denominations?
A: I can’t remember, various denominations probably.
Q: You keep this in your house in Suez Crescent in Abuja?
A: Correct.
Q: You then give some to Mr. Bagudu?
A: Correct.
Q: I will come to that later. At the time you are given these funds, do you understand them to come from the CBN?
A: No.
Q: Where do you understand them to come from?
A: I didn’t ask any question.
Q: Who gave them to you?
A: My father.
Q: Your father gave them to you directly?
A: Yes.
Q: How did he give them to you?
A: Directly, as I said.
Q: But how?
A: In cash.
Q: He passed over bags, boxes, truck loads --- how did he do it?
A: I believe, as I said, it was over time, sometimes in bags, sometimes in boxes.
Q: When you would go visiting he would give you a bag or a box, would he, and you would take that away?
A: Sometimes.
Q: Where did he give it to you?
A: I beg your pardon?
Q: Where did he give it to you?
A: Where did he give it to me?
Q: Yes.
A: In his residence.
Q: In his residential villa?
A: Correct, yes.
Q: What did he tell you it was in respect of?
A: I didn’t ask.
Q: Did he volunteer anything?
A: No, he didn’t.
Q: So he just handed you cash?
A: Correct, yes.
Q: And he says nothing?
A: That’s right.
Q: What does he say that he wants you to do then?
A: Keep it for him, safe keeping.
Q: Keep it for him?
A: I would want to believe so.
Q: When you say you want to believe to keep it for him, are you saying that you recall him saying that he wanted you to keep it for him?
A: No.
Q: What do you recall that he said when he handed it over?
A: It was just handed over to me, that was it.
Q: Handed over to you with nothing being said as to what you should do with it?
A: Yes.
Q: Did you understand it to be a gift to you?
A: No.
Q: Why not?
A: As I said, nothing was said about it.
Q: Why did you not understand it to be a gift then?
A: I didn’t understand it to be a gift.
Q: Why not?
A: I didn’t understand it to be a gift because it was not a gift.
Q: What did you understand it to be then?
A: I was keeping it safely.
Q: Was it a loan?
A: No.
Q: Keeping it safe for what?
A: I just keep it safe, that was all. I was asked to keep it, yes.
Q: He asks you to keep it?
A: I was asked to keep it.
Q: By him?
A: Of course, it was handed over to me.
Q: Where did he ask you to keep it?
A: He didn’t specify, it was only handed over to me.
Q: I am sorry, the fan?
A: It was handed over to me.
Q: He did not ask you --- he did not suggest --- A: No.
Q: --- give any instructions as to where it should be kept?
A: No.
Q: How it should be kept?
A: No.
Q: By whom it should be kept?
A: No Q: Did he suggest that it should go abroad?
A: No.
Q: Did he identify any accounts that it should go to?
A: No.
Q: Did anyone else on his behalf?
A: No.
Q: Did you speak to Mr. Gwarzo about this?
A: No.
Q: Did you speak to anyone else?
A: Only Mr. Bagudu.
Q: Mr. Bagudu only you talked to about this?
A: Yes.
Q: Did you speak to any associates of your father’s about this?
A: No.
Q: After he had given the money to you did he ask you what you had done with it?
A: No.
Q: Did he ask you at any time how much you were holding for him?
A: No.
Q: Did he ask you where it had been placed?
A: No.
Q: Did you tell him?
A: I did, yes.
Q: What did you tell him?
A: If I remember properly I think I did tell him there was no need to keep so much with me and I asked for permission to be able to use or send the monies properly --- where they would be properly kept. It was not safe where I did keep them, I told him.
Q: When was this conversation?
A: I can’t remember exactly.
Q: Did this conversation happen only once or more than once?
A: That’s all, once.
Q: I am sorry, did you say "once"?
A: Once, yes.
Q: Was this early on during this course of money being given to you or later on?
A: Some time later on.
Q: Why did you have this discussion?
A: I had a sizeable amount of money which I didn’t feel comfortable keeping with me there.
Q: How much did you have at that time?
A: I can’t remember exactly.
Q: Are we talking about $50 million, $100 million, in cash?
A: Maybe about that.
Q: Why did you not feel comfortable?
A: It wasn’t safe, it was in a house. That’s it.
Q: You were not comfortable because of the risk of it being stolen?
A: Something of that.
Q: Is there not a risk of it being stolen if you have $5 million in your house?
A: I beg your pardon?
Q: Is there not a risk of it being stolen if you have $5 million in your house?
A: Of course, there is always a risk.
Q: $1 million in your house?
A: There is always a risk anytime.
Continued in (2)
