Eniola Akinkuotu, Sunday Aborisade and Olalekan Adetayo
At least eight offshore companies in the
British Virgin Island have been linked to the immediate past Senate
President, David Mark, in a secret assets scam released by a German
newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung.
The German newspaper had on Monday
released the Panama Papers, the biggest leak in the history of data
journalism, publishing online 11.5 million documents from Panamanian law
firm Mossack Fonseca, which showed how prominent people including the
family of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, a former governor of
Delta State, James Ibori, Argentinian footballer, Lionel Messi and
criminals hid money using anonymous shell corporations across the world.
The Panamanian law firm, regarded as one
of the world’s most secretive companies, according to the documents,
has helped clients launder money, dodge sanctions and evade tax.
The data was obtained by the German
newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and shared by the International Consortium
of Investigative Journalists with over 100 other media partners in 82
countries.
Files seen by online medium, Premium
Times, show the eight offshore companies traced to Mark are Sikera
Overseas S.A, Colsan Enterprises Limited, Goldwin Transworld Limited,
Hartland Estates Limited, Marlin Holdings Limited, Medley Holdings
Limited, Quetta Properties Limited, and Centenary Holdings Limited.
It was, however, unclear as to what business dealings Mark had with the companies.
Attempts to get Mark’s reaction to his
alleged involvement in the Panama assets scam failed on Tuesday as his
Media Assistant, Paul Mumeh, failed to pick his calls while he did not
also respond to the text message sent to him.
Meanwhile, the Presidency on Tuesday
said President Muhammadu Buhari would not dabble into the issues of
Saraki and Ibori, who are named in secret offshore assets.
The Special Adviser to the President on
Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said this in an interview with
one of our correspondents in Abuja.
There were reports on Tuesday that
Saraki’s family and Ibori, were among some prominent Africans named in a
newly discovered secret offshore assets released by Süddeutsche
Zeitung.
Quoting the report, Premium Times had
said the undeclared assets by Saraki included Girol Properties Ltd.,
Sandon Development Limited, and Landfield International Developments
Ltd.
Girol Properties, the report stated, was
registered on behalf of Toyin by Mossack Fonsecca on August 25, 2004,
in the British Virgin Island, a year after her husband, Bukola, became
the governor of Kwara State.
When asked what steps the President
would take over the revelations and those mentioned in the report,
Adesina said Buhari would not dabble into issues that might later
become major legal matters.
He said although the present
administration’s anti-graft war was on course and gathering steam, the
President respected separation of powers.
“This President is not precipitate. He
will not dabble into what may become major legal matters. He respects
separation of powers. The anti-graft war is on course and gathering
steam,” the presidential spokesman simply said.
Copyright PUNCH.
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