ABUJA — The Federal Government has denied agreeing to pay the Swiss government $79 million in order to release the $321 million stashed in that country by late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.
This came as the Presidency declared, yesterday, that Minister of Environment, Mrs. Amina Muhammed, would remain Minister, despite her reported appointment as u Secretary-General of the United Nations.
On the purported agreement with the Swiss government, Mr. Festus Akanbi, Special Adviser, Media, to the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, indicated that the negotiations with the Swiss officials on the repatriation of the loot had no provision for commission, whatsoever.
He said: “The attention of the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, has been drawn to a misleading report, which erroneously claimed that the Federal Government has agreed to pay a $79 million commission to the Swiss government, as part of conditions for repatriation of the Abacha loot.