Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has responded to a report by PREMIUM TIMES on international corruption cases involving him and his ex-wife, Jennifer Douglas. Atiku said he was never found guilty by any court or independent committee that investigated suspicious international financial transactions involving him or his former wife. His spokesperson, Paul Ibe, issued a statement on behalf of Atiku, addressing the allegations.
The PREMIUM TIMES report examined five cases linking Atiku and Ms Douglas to suspicious international financial transactions. These cases involve offshore companies and alleged bribery, particularly in the United States. Atiku and Ms Douglas, a dual US-Nigerian citizen, were married from 2003 until their divorce in June 2021. The report highlighted a 2010 US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report that found over $40 million in suspect funds was transferred into the US through offshore companies and accounts associated with Atiku and Ms Douglas.
One of the cases referenced in the report concerns a $500,000 payment made into a US bank account belonging to Ms Douglas in January 2003. Atiku was vice president at the time. The International Chamber of Commerce arbitration tribunal in Paris examined the payment and found evidence linking it to the award of the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project contract. The tribunal found that Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company, made the payment from a Swiss account of his offshore company.
Atiku's response to the Mambilla contract allegations emphasizes that the suspicious payment does not equate to a finding that he corruptly procured the contract. His spokesperson argued that the key issue is whether there was evidence that Atiku abused his office as vice president to secure the contract for Sunrise Power. Atiku was not a party to the arbitration, which was between Sunrise Power and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Another case involves allegations by the US Securities and Exchange Commission concerning Siemens and four Nigerian telecommunications contracts worth approximately $130 million. The SEC alleged that Siemens paid at least $4.5 million in bribes, with about $2.8 million routed through a Potomac, Maryland, bank account in Ms Douglas' name. Atiku's spokesperson did not address this case directly in the statement.
Atiku also addressed the bribery allegation involving former US Congressman William Jefferson. Atiku argued that there was no evidence linking him to the alleged bribery, noting that Mr Jefferson was convicted while he was not. The US appellate record showed that Jefferson claimed to have delivered $100,000 to Atiku but was still in possession of $90,000.
Atiku's statement concluded that the allegations did not establish that he was corrupt or abused his office while serving as Nigeria's number two citizen. His spokesperson emphasized the distinction between suspicion and findings of corruption. Atiku's responses to the five cases examined in the PREMIUM TIMES report aimed to clarify his position on the allegations.
Key points
- Atiku Abubakar was never found guilty in international corruption cases.
