There are strong indications that
efforts of the Federal Government to ensure amicable settlement of
issues surrounding the $9.3m
seized by South Africa have failed.
South Africa’s National Prosecuting
Authority, in an email to our correspondent in Abuja on Thursday, said
that the matter was still under criminal investigations.
There were reports on Wednesday that
$9.3m, which was seized from two Nigerians and an Israeli in
Johannesburg, was meant for procurement of arms for intelligence
agencies in Nigeria.
It was also reported that the Federal Government was aware of the move to procure arms.
The PUNCH and other newspapers
had reported that the Federal Government had begun diplomatic talks with
South Africa to ensure resolution of the issue.
Government agencies in Nigeria, such as
Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, kept mum over the seized fund.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority had said that it did not take the issue of money laundering lightly.
But South Africa’s NPA’s spokesman,
Nathi Mncube, in a response to an enquiry by our correspondent, said,
“The matter is under criminal investigations by the Directorate of
Priority Crimes of Investigations unit at South African Police Services.
“NPA does not comment on pending
investigations and therefore cannot comment any other than providing the
information contained in our media statement.”
The NPA, in a statement sent to our
correspondent on Thursday, said that its asset forfeiture unit had
obtained “an order in the North Gauteng High Court freezing a cash
amount of US$9.34m (about R102m).”
According to the agency, the money is currently kept safe by the South African Reserve Bank
Giving an insight into the seizure, it
said, “The cash consisted of 90 blocks of $100, 000 each and was found
in two black plastic suitcases.”
The NPA stated that the order freezing
the money was granted in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act
which “provides that property that is used to commit a crime can be
frozen while the NPA applies for a final order to forfeit the money to
the state.”
It stated that the money was initially
detained by the South African Revenue Service as it was not disclosed or
declared at customs, and was above the prescribed legal limit for the
amount of cash that could be brought into the country.
According to the statement, the NPA also
submitted to the court that, although various explanations about the
money were given to the investigating officer, these explanations were
riddled with discrepancies.
The jet bearing the money, Bombardier
Challenger 6000, was said to belong to the President of the Christian
Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.
Source:Punch Newspaper
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