A new take for Nigeria in a case of giant corruption. Mohammed Adoke, former Nigerian Justice Minister was arrested in Dubai, his lawyer told Reuters on Wednesday.
In April, the Nigerian anti-corruption agency obtained arrest warrants for two former ministers, including Mr. Adoke, and an executive of the oil company ENI. The recipients of these mandates are accused of being involved in the fraudulent sale of an offshore oil field by the company Malabu Oil and Gas for $ 1.3 billion. The case dates back to 2011.
The deal has resulted in lawsuits in several countries, involving representatives of the Nigerian government and senior executives of ENI and Royal Dutch Shell. Shell and Eni, along with their leaders, have denied any wrongdoing.
Mohamed Adoke, who was in Dubai for medical reasons, was arrested on Monday, 11 November. However, according to his lawyer, this arrest is arbitrary especially as the arrest warrant had expired. A Nigerian court had canceled the warrant in October, as his client was unaware of the charges before his release, says Mike Ozekhome.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has embarked on his mandate around the fight against corruption, endemic in Nigeria. Since coming to power in 2015 and re-elected early this year, the former army general has boosted the fight against corruption through punch operations. For its detractors, however, this battle is more focused on opponents of the head of state, including members of the former regime.
Laisser un commentaire