The Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed readiness to honour any invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the Pandora Papers.
Premium Times, quoting Pandora Papers, had listed Obi as one of those personalities who clandestinely set up and operated businesses overseas, including in notorious tax and secrecy havens in ways that breached Nigerian laws.
The Pandora Papers is a leak of about 12 million documents that revealed hidden wealth and tax avoidance by some of the world’s rich and powerful.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, however stated that he has not received any invitation from the anti-graft agency.
The former governor, according to a statement issued by his media aide, Valentine Obienyem, said he read the letter from the EFCC on social media like others.
“From what is circulating, the letter appears to have been sent to an office he is no longer part of and is yet to reach him.
“However, Obi being a law abiding Nigerian will honour all legitimate invitations from government agencies at all times,” he said.
He, however, denied reacting to the invitation to him by the EFCC as being circulated on different media platforms.
Obi, in an interview, had said that he broke no law with his investments abroad.
He said that he relied on professional opinions and advice of investment experts both locally and internationally in all matters relating to his investments and declaration of his personal assets.
Obi said he also engaged and acted on solicited advice by reputable legal practitioners on whose opinion he relied.
He said “it was exhilarating that nowhere in the article was he accused of any form of corruption, whether in the form of diversion of public funds or in any other manner during and after his stewardship as the governor of Anambra State.”
He added that the publication did not also allege that he had been engaged in unlawful business ventures at any time whatsoever.
Obi said his understanding was that the allegation bordered more on tax avoidance and non-declaration of some jointly owned assets.
He then wondered if a thorough scrutiny and appreciation of all the facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged transactions were made by the writers.
“On the allegation that I violated the Nigerian Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, as well as sections of the 5th Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), by not declaring any alleged assets in companies registered outside the Nigerian Federation, I think that the authors displayed ignorance on matters of Trust and International Investment Practices,” he said.
The former governor said he did not in any respect whatsoever violate any law before, during and after his stewardship as the Governor of Anambra.
- Court halts Nigeria Air’s take-off as Airline Operators sue FG - November 15, 2022
- Bizmen slam N407.8m suit on Union Bank - July 1, 2022
- N25.7bn fraud: Appeal Court affirms Atuche, Anyanwu’s conviction - June 23, 2022
