Abacha Loot: Reps investigate proposed payment of $17 million to lawyers

The house of representatives has set up an ad-hoc 
panel to probe the attempt to pay dubious fees amounting to
$17 million to two lawyers for the recovery of $321 million, stolen
by Sani Abacha, former military ruler.

They also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the
matter.

TheNigerialawyer had reported that
Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation and minister of
justice, engaged the two Nigerian lawyers to secure the release of
the loot, after the job had been completed.

Recall that  Kemi Adeosun, minister of finance, had refused
to approve the payment of the money to the lawyers – although she
later came under pressure to deny stopping it.

Enrico Monfrini, a Swiss lawyer hired by the Nigerian government
since 1999 to work on recovering Abacha loot, had finished the
Luxemborg leg of the job since 2014 and had also been paid his fees
by the federal government.

While the money has been recovered and domiciled with the
attorney-general of Switzerland pending the signing of an MoU with
Nigeria, Malami went ahead to engage the two Nigerian lawyers to
duplicate the job of the Swiss lawyer and get their own cut from
the already done deal – a fee of about $17 million.

The Nigerian lawyers, Oladipo Okpeseyi, a senior advocate, and
Temitope Adebayo, happened to have worked for the Congress for the
Progressives Change (CPC), the legacy party of President Muhammadu
Buhari and which had Malami as its legal adviser.

At plenary on Thursday, some of the lawmakers who spoke on the
matter described Malami’s engagement of the lawyers as “height of
injustice”.

The deliberations followed a motion raised by Mark Gbillah, from
Benue state, asked the house to carry out a “forensic
investigation” on the issue to unravel the circumstances
surrounding the controversial deal.

“It will be a conflict of interest if proven that the minister
has initial relationship with the Nigerian lawyers,” he
said.

Nkem Abonta, from Delta state, wondered why Malami would want to
allegedly pay the new lawyers  services “for service they did
not render”.

“Somebody wants to creat $16 million free money for no
job done, at this era? Why is the AGF engaging another lawyer? What
kind of change are we talking about? It is the height of injustice
coming from the minister,” he said.

Most of the other lawmakers who spoke also talked about the
“extra-budgetary expenses usually arising from the ministry of
justice”.

Eugene Agbonayinma, from Edo state, however, cautioned his
colleagues against “taking sides” on the matter.

“I am not saying the matter should not be investigated but we
cannot stand here to call names… we should not take sides,” he
said.

Thereafter, the lawyers asked Buhari to suspend the payment of
the money to the Nigerian lawyers.

The an ad-hoc committee to investigate the matter is to report
back within six weeks.

The house of representatives has set up an ad-hoc 
panel to probe the attempt to pay dubious fees amounting to
$17 million to two lawyers for the recovery of $321 million, stolen
by Sani Abacha, former military ruler.

They also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the
matter.

TheNigerialawyer had reported that
Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation and minister of
justice, engaged the two Nigerian lawyers to secure the release of
the loot, after the job had been completed.

Recall that  Kemi Adeosun, minister of finance, had refused
to approve the payment of the money to the lawyers – although she
later came under pressure to deny stopping it.

Enrico Monfrini, a Swiss lawyer hired by the Nigerian government
since 1999 to work on recovering Abacha loot, had finished the
Luxemborg leg of the job since 2014 and had also been paid his fees
by the federal government.

While the money has been recovered and domiciled with the
attorney-general of Switzerland pending the signing of an MoU with
Nigeria, Malami went ahead to engage the two Nigerian lawyers to
duplicate the job of the Swiss lawyer and get their own cut from
the already done deal – a fee of about $17 million.

The Nigerian lawyers, Oladipo Okpeseyi, a senior advocate, and
Temitope Adebayo, happened to have worked for the Congress for the
Progressives Change (CPC), the legacy party of President Muhammadu
Buhari and which had Malami as its legal adviser.

At plenary on Thursday, some of the lawmakers who spoke on the
matter described Malami’s engagement of the lawyers as “height of
injustice”.

The deliberations followed a motion raised by Mark Gbillah, from
Benue state, asked the house to carry out a “forensic
investigation” on the issue to unravel the circumstances
surrounding the controversial deal.

“It will be a conflict of interest if proven that the minister
has initial relationship with the Nigerian lawyers,” he
said.

Nkem Abonta, from Delta state, wondered why Malami would want to
allegedly pay the new lawyers  services “for service they did
not render”.

“Somebody wants to creat $16 million free money for no
job done, at this era? Why is the AGF engaging another lawyer? What
kind of change are we talking about? It is the height of injustice
coming from the minister,” he said.

Most of the other lawmakers who spoke also talked about the
“extra-budgetary expenses usually arising from the ministry of
justice”.

Eugene Agbonayinma, from Edo state, however, cautioned his
colleagues against “taking sides” on the matter.

“I am not saying the matter should not be investigated but we
cannot stand here to call names… we should not take sides,” he
said.

Thereafter, the lawyers asked Buhari to suspend the payment of
the money to the Nigerian lawyers.

The an ad-hoc committee to investigate the matter is to report
back within six weeks.