By Tony Ezimakor

Abuja – Okoi Obono-Obla, Presidential Adviser on Prosecution and Chairman of the Special Presidential Task Force on Recovery of Public Assets, disclosed on Wednesday that the panel had opened investigation into the Panama Papers.

He revealed that investigation into the Panama Papers as it involved an unnamed public officer had been concluded.

Obono-Obla said the investigation, which was done with the active collaboration and assistance of the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA), was presently before President Muhammadu Buhari.

Obono-Obla, who some time ago was enmeshed in an alleged certificate scandal, claimed that the public officer had over 20 offshore companies.

He also disclosed that a special panel had zeroed in on the non-remittance of $1.9 billion by Mobil, being the outstanding cost of the $2.5 billion oil block awarded to it in 2009 by government.

He made the disclosure in Abuja at the Anti-Corruption Situation Room on Public Presentation of Expert Analysis on the OPL 245 Malabu oil deal, organised by HEDA Resources, in collaboration with Global Witness.

He said the panel would also investigate the scandalous OPL 245 deal with a view to bringing culprits to book.

According to him, a number of oil companies were also under intense probe for failing to pay taxes to government.

“The panel was set up in August 2017 to give impetus to the war against corruption.

“The panel is to recover assets of public officers who have abused their office, who have corruptly enriched themselves, who contributed to the economic adversity of Nigerians, and who have violated the Code of Conduct for public officers.

“This scandal (Malabu) is a classical example of corrupt enrichment and I can assure you that this panel will investigate it.

“Currently, we are investigating the Panama and Paradigm Papers.

“One of them has actually been concluded. One public officer was mentioned. We collaborated with NIA, the report has been presented to Mr. President. That public officer has about 20 offshore companies,” Obono-Obla said.

He added that while Mobil was operating in Nigeria, they involved themselves with some of the misbehaviour of multinational oil companies.

“You can imagine how much the oil companies are making but they cannot pay tax. That’s a typical case of lawlessness,” he said.

The panel, he said, had beamed its searchlight on the 2006 bailout funds advanced to commercial banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“We are also investigating the bailout funds. If you recall, the CBN bailed out commercial banks to the tune of $7 billion.”

He said the bailout funds advanced to commercial banks, following a resolution of directors of CBN in 2006, would be recovered since, he said, commercial banks did not belong to the Nigerian people but were private entities.

Source:- Independentng