There are strong indications that efforts of the Federal Government to ensure amicable settlement of issues surrounding the $9.3m seized by South Africa have failed.
The South African National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), in an email to Punch on Thursday, said that the matter is still very much under criminal investigations.
Giving an insight into the seizure, it said, “The cash consisted of 90 blocks of $100, 000 each and was found in two black plastic suitcases.”
The NPA stated that the order freezing the money was granted in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act which “provides that property that is used to commit a crime can be frozen while the NPA applies for a final order to forfeit the money to the state.”Government agencies in Nigeria, such as Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, kept mum over the seized fund.
But there were reports on Wednesday that the $9.3m, which was seized from two Nigerians and an Israeli in Johannesburg, was meant for procurement of arms for intelligence agencies in Nigeria.
But South Africa’s NPA’s spokesman, Nathi Mncube, in a response to an enquiry said, “The matter is under criminal investigations by the Directorate of Priority Crimes of Investigations unit at South African Police Services.
“NPA does not comment on pending investigations and therefore cannot comment any other than providing the information contained in our media statement.”
The NPA, in a statement sent to Punch, said that its asset forfeiture unit had obtained “an order in the North Gauteng High Court freezing a cash amount of US$9.34m (about R102m).”
According to the agency, the money is currently kept safe by the South African Reserve Bank
The jet bearing the money, a Bombardier Challenger 6000, belongs to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor of CAN.
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