SWISS BANK RETURNED 700 MILLION DOLLARS ABACHA’s LOOT!

BY AKPABIO ANIEMA

The Government of Switzerland said it had returned to the Nigerian government about $700m traced to the late military head of state, General Sani Abacha.
The Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, Dr. Hans –Rudolf Hodel, stated this in Abuja at a press briefing ahead of a two day seminar on Anti Money Laundering and Combating Finance of Terrorism.

Hodel added that the Swiss government would be ready to reopen the case if Nigeria presents fresh evidence of any money being held in any Swiss bank.
According to Dr. Hodel, ‘Switzerland and Nigeria agreed to request the World bank to participate in the review of the use of funds, in the framework of a budget control process of various welfare projects’’ .

The envoy, who maintained that Switzerland had no interest in withholding illicit funds, said his country had returned about $1.7bn to their countries of origin in the last 15 years.
He however, said his country had yet to receive any request for information on the November 4 Berne Declaration report: Swiss Traders Opaque Deals in Nigeria, which allegedly accused the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation of conniving with some Swiss-based oil firms of fraudulent deals worth $6.8bn.
He made us to understand that although; the report by the Berne-based NGO did not represent the position of the Swiss government.
He went further to explain in his own words, ‘I have no knowledge that we have been contacted by the authorities. In case they will start proceedings and they will need our help; of course with international legal cooperation, we will help them if they approach us. But until now, they have not approached us’’.