Malabu scandal: I was pressured to implicate Adoke, says Russian suspect

Speaks on relationship with Obasanjo, Gusau, Etete, others

Former Russian Ambassador to Colombia, Ednan Tofik ogly Agaev,
who is charged with international corruption over the OPL 245
affair, has said he was pressured to mention a name in his
interrogation by US Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI.

In the FBI interview, he named Mohammed Adoke, former
Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, as one of the recipients
of the $400 million bribes allegedly paid to government officials
in the deal.

However, when the FBI statement was read to him in a Milanese
court on Wednesday and was asked to adopt it as part of his defence
but Agaev declined.

He told the court he was under pressure to mention a name during
the interview and he mentioned Adoke, adding that he didn’t mean
for the interview to be used against him in court.

Adoke has vehemently denied taking any bribes in the deal, which
was concluded in 2011 under his watch as AGF.

However, he has been charged to court for money laundering in an
Abuja court by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for
allegedly receiving $2.2 million bribe in the OPL 245 deal.

Trial continues…

In Italy on Wednesday, Agaev appeared in court as a defendant as
the trial of what is dubbed “the greatest corporate scandal in
history” continued.

Barnaby Pace of the Global Witness, the UK-based body that has
been at the forefront of the amplification of the OPL 245 affair,
live-tweeted from the court.

Speaking at the Milan court, Agaev disclosed that he knew former
President Olusegun Obasanjo for the first time in the 1980s and
campaigned for his release in the 1990s but didn’t learn about OPL
245 until 2008 when working for a Russian oil company.

He further disclosed that he knew the OPL 245 block was revoked
because Etete was associated with Malabu, the company owning the
block. He alleged further that former President Olusegun Obasanjo
said the block was intended for late Sani Abacha, a former Nigerian
military ruler.

According to Barnaby Pace, a campaigner at anti-corruption group
Global Witness, who was at the Milan Court, the defendant explained
that after Abacha’s death, the company fell to Etete.

Agaev, who started his career for the Soviet Union Ministry of
Foreign Affairs where he was a senior official for arms control,
disclosed that his job was only to find an investor because Etete
was in charge of negotiating with the Nigerian government and he
didn’t need any help or contacts from him.

He alleged that the block was given back to Etete by Obasanjo to
shore up political support in the south of Nigeria.

Agaev also disclosed that he was introduced to Etete by Aliyu
Gusau in 2008. Gusau served as National Security Advisor under
Messrs Obasanjo and Jonathan. The former security chief wanted him
to find a Russian oil company investor to deal with Etete and
Shell, he added.

He said Mr Gusau later introduced him to John Coplestone of
Shell, whom he (Gusau) knew because he had been head of the MI6
station in Abuja. The defendant explained that he only ever met Mr
Etete because of Malabu and Mr Etete was the only person
representing the firm on OPL 245.

Relationship with Etete, Adoke

Agaev was asked about the dinner in February 2010 with Eni’s
Claudio Descalzi, Etete, himself and Emeka Obi, another middleman
convicted for his role in the Malabu scandal, he explained that
Messrs Obi and Descalzi had a good relationship based on the body
language.

He added, however, that Shell was worried about the role of the
Attorney General, Mohammed Adoke.

He also claimed that Etete told him he and Adoke were “close”
and the former attorney general was in turn close to Jonathan.

Agaev alleged that he was covering Etete’s expenses, travels and
hotels. But in 2010, Shell asked him to stop paying so Etete would
be financially squeezed. He alleged further that Etete told him
Adoke also pressured him by telling him the government could revoke
the block.

After the deal was done, he said he took Etete to Moscow, in
late spring. The former oil minister was very happy, he said,
adding that he got over a billion dollars but didn’t want to pay
him (Agaev) so he sued for $66 million in London and tried to
freeze the money.

Mr Agaev alleged at this juncture that Etete said he had friends
he had to pay back including Nigerian lawmakers.

The court asked Mr Agaev if Mr Adoke was one of those to be paid
and he reportedly denied but added further that he doesn’t know. Mr
Agaev claimed Mr Etete owed Mr Adoke money from legal work before
he became Attorney General.

When asked whether he thought Mr Jonathan got money from the
deal, he said his statement to the FBI should be understood that he
thought it was a possibility money would go to Mr Jonathan.

When confronted with his exact statement alleging that Mr
Jonathan may have received money, a defence lawyer interrupted and
objected to the evidence on payments to the former president. The
President of the court however silenced him even as the lawyer
continued to interrupt.

Speaking further, Mr Agaev said that Mr Etete had so much
influence and he did not need to bribe anyone. Commenting on his
previous statement, Mr Agaev said it was just speculation and
declined to confirm his statement. He promptly denied any
wrongdoing.

The next hearing over the controversial case is scheduled for
July 17.