Oritsejafor and his impounded jet |
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.
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