Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, current and former state governors, past and present lawmakers, businesspeople, a popular pastor, and many others have been reported to be involved in the Pandora Papers.
The list is on which Africa is fairly represented. Apart from Nigeria, other African countries with representatives include Angola, with nine politicians listed, Ghana and Gabon, each with three politicians listed, and Chad, Kenya and Congo Brazzaville, South Africa and Zimbabwe, which have two politicians each. Mozambique has one.
When asked by Premium Times Obi was said to have responded that: “I don’t declare what is owned by others. If my family owns something I won’t declare it.
A former Vice presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in the 2019 election, He contracted Acces International, a secrecy enabler in Monaco, France, to help him incorporate an offshore entity in one of the world’s most notorious tax havens noted for providing conduits for the wealthy and privileged corrupt political elites to hide stolen
The investigation is part of the global International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)-led Pandora Papers project.
The project involved about 600 journalists from 150 news organisations around the world including The Washington Post, the BBC, The Guardian, and Nigeria’s Premium Times. The journalists examined a trove of 11.9 million confidential files, contextualising information, tracking down sources, and analyzing public records and other documents.
From Africa, the huge leak named President Uhuru Kenyatta, among leaders that secretly owned a network of offshore companies for decades, while six members of his family have also been linked to 13 offshore companies.
Obi reportedly admitted that he did not declare companies and the funds and properties they hold in his asset declaration filings with the Code of Conduct Bureau, a federal government agency that deals with the issues of corruption, conflict of interest, and abuse of office by public servants.
The former governor said he was unaware that the law expected him to declare assets or companies he jointly owns with his family members or anyone else.
He was said to have contracted Acces International, a secrecy enabler in Monaco, France, to help him incorporate an offshore entity in one of the world’s most notorious tax havens noted for providing conduits for the wealthy and privileged corrupt political elites to hide stolen money.
That offshore company is Gabriella Investment Limited which was incorporated on November 17, 2010, with registration number 1615538 while two figureheads – Antony Janse Van Vuuren and Lance Lawson — were appointed its first directors while ultimate control resided with Obi.
Reports said that Obi also paid Acces International to provide nominee directors for the company — these directors are residents of tax havens paid to sit on boards of companies to hide the identities of real owners of offshore firms.
Obi, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s clean politicians, is accused of failing to declare these offshore assets to Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
From Africa, the huge leak named President Uhuru Kenyatta, among leaders that secretly owned a network of offshore companies for decades, while six members of his family have also been linked to 13 offshore companies.
