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Former President Goodluck Jonathan allegedly received as much as $200 million to approve the controversial $1.3 billion sale of OPL 245 oil field, Italian prosecutors said in fresh court documents.
The documents, which were extracts of a thorough investigation by Italian authorities into the deal, also confirmed that Shell and ENI knew a good chunk of the $1.3 billion would be disbursed as kickbacks to Nigerian politicians, yet went ahead with the deal.
Premium Times while quoting Buzzfeed report, said the court document states, “Agaev was asked about payment of his commission. Agaev stated that he went to Etete and told him to pay him $65,000,000. Agaev stated that Etete said, ‘I can’t pay you, I have to pay Adoke [Mohammed Bello Adoke, then Nigeria’s attorney general] $400m and all the other people in the Senate and the National assembly.’ Agaev stated that he would think President Goodluck Jonathan got at least $200m of this money.”
In a follow-up interview with Italian authorities, Agaev repeated his allegations. “I said that if it’s true, that he paid, he had to pay $400m, I assume that at least $200m went to Goodluck,” he said. “I heard from Chief (Etete), he claims that he had to pay $400m, so, if this is true, if he paid $400 million, then most probably the President, as the biggest boss, took at least the half of it.”
Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, had in the January statement, described the allegation as a false narrative
The documents, which were extracts of a thorough investigation by Italian authorities into the deal, also confirmed that Shell and ENI knew a good chunk of the $1.3 billion would be disbursed as kickbacks to Nigerian politicians, yet went ahead with the deal.
Premium Times while quoting Buzzfeed report, said the court document states, “Agaev was asked about payment of his commission. Agaev stated that he went to Etete and told him to pay him $65,000,000. Agaev stated that Etete said, ‘I can’t pay you, I have to pay Adoke [Mohammed Bello Adoke, then Nigeria’s attorney general] $400m and all the other people in the Senate and the National assembly.’ Agaev stated that he would think President Goodluck Jonathan got at least $200m of this money.”
In a follow-up interview with Italian authorities, Agaev repeated his allegations. “I said that if it’s true, that he paid, he had to pay $400m, I assume that at least $200m went to Goodluck,” he said. “I heard from Chief (Etete), he claims that he had to pay $400m, so, if this is true, if he paid $400 million, then most probably the President, as the biggest boss, took at least the half of it.”
Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, had in the January statement, described the allegation as a false narrative
