PREMIUM TIMES

Two former Nigerian presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, were probed for years by the United States authorities, through the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), an agency of the U.S. Department of Treasury.

PREMIUM TIMES’ review of FinCEN files showed that financial records of the former Nigerian leaders were closely scrutinised in relation to investigations about the Malabu OPL245 scandal.

Both men were probed alongside other individuals and companies suspected to have been involved in the controversial scheme.

Details of the probe are part of #FinCEN files, a new investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), BuzzFeed and 108 media partners across the world, including PREMIUM TIMES.

The files are a large volume of confidential financial reports relating to the transaction activities of world leaders, terrorists, drug dealers and money launderers.

The investigation involved 16-month collaborative work involving more than 400 journalists in 88 countries.

The files include a large number of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) filed by banks and other financial institutions to the U.S. Government as required by the Bank Secrecy Act, with the total amount in suspicious transactions reported being $2 trillion ($2,099584,477,415.49).

Fresh Details

A review of the #FinCEN files showed that individuals pencilled for investigations in connection with the Malabu OPL 245 saga included Messrs Obasanjo and Jonathan, Ednan Agaev (former Russian diplomat and project consultant), Daniel Etete (former Nigerian petroleum minister), Mohammed Abacha (son of former Head of State, General Sani Abacha), Abubakar Aliyu (Abuja-based businessman and property merchant), among others.

The documents indicated that based on a request from FinCEN, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas (“DBTCA”) kept a close tab on all fund transfers related to the named individuals and companies that passed through its network, especially those connected to Malabu OPL 245.