In a significant legal development, His Majesty’s Attorney General in Jersey, Mark Temple KC, successfully secured the forfeiture of approximately US$8.9 million of tainted property on 12th January 2024. The forfeiture notice, served on 29th November 2023, was made under Article 10(1) of the Forfeiture of Assets (Civil Proceedings) (Jersey) Law 2018.
Jersey is an island in the English Channel off the northwest coast of France. It is a Crown Dependency of the British monarchy. Jersey is a bailiwick. The Bailiwick of Jersey also includes the islands of the Minquiers and Écréhous, where nobody lives.
The Attorney General’s application revealed that the tainted property was connected to Nigerian companies and had been deposited into a Jersey bank account in 2014. It was established that the funds were more likely than not stolen from the people of Nigeria by high-ranking officials within certain Nigerian Government departments in 2014. These illicitly acquired assets were then transferred to Jersey as part of a corrupt scheme involving third-party contractors who siphoned off government funds for the personal benefit of Nigerian officials and their associates.
The scheme involved disguising illicit payments as transactions related to government-sanctioned contracts for the purchase of arms and aviation equipment during incursions by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria between 2009 and 2015. Investigation findings suggest that a significant portion of the funds meant for legitimate arms procurement was diverted through foreign bank accounts, including shell companies, to benefit family members of the former ruling party and its members during the 2015 general elections in Nigeria. The tainted property in question was intended for use in such illicit transactions.
Attorney General Mark Temple KC praised the collaborative efforts of the Economic Crime and Confiscation Unit of the Law Officers’ Department (ECCU), along with support from the Financial Intelligence Unit – Jersey, in working closely with the Federal Republic of Nigeria to recover these assets on behalf of the Nigerian people. Furthermore, Temple expressed gratitude to the Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa for their invaluable assistance during ECCU’s investigation.
The Royal Court’s decision marks the culmination of a complex and lengthy asset forfeiture investigation by ECCU. This case underscores the effectiveness of the 2018 Forfeiture Law in recovering the proceeds of corruption and returning them to the victims of crime. Attorney General Temple now intends to negotiate an asset return agreement with the Federal Republic of Nigeria, furthering the pursuit of justice and the restoration of stolen assets to their rightful owners.
Read more
Original Source: Island of Jersey Gov
Discover more from One Africa News Today
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.