The Federal Government has recovered £22.5m
(N5.6bn) of funds embezzled through Jersey bank accounts in the coast of
Normandy, France, during the regime of the late dictator, Gen. Sani
Abacha.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed
Bello Adoke, was said to have led a delegation to the Island last month
to negotiate the release of the funds, which were the proceeds of
corrupt vehicle deals between Abacha and Raj Arjandas Bhojwani, an
Indian businessman.
According to the Jersey Evening Post,
the cash was confiscated from Bhojwani, who is serving a six-year jail
sentence since 2010, for laundering $43.9m through his bank accounts in
the Jersey branch of the Bank of India.
Bhojwani was
ordered by Jersey’s Royal Court to repay £26.5m (N6.6bn) to Nigeria, as
part of the sentence, after his jail term was shortened from eight
years.
A statement released by the Royal Court said it
represented the end of a long investigation into serious money
laundering in Jersey.
