Panama Papers: Lawyer hired by Nigeria to track Abacha loot has 178 firms in tax havens
Enrico Monfrini, a Swiss attorney hired by the administration of
former President Olusegun Obasanjo to track missing Abacha loot in Swiss
banks is himself operating over 178 companies in offshore tax havens, a
massive leak of secret documents belonging to offshore shell companies
has revealed.
Mr. Monfrini was hired in 2000 by the then new civilian government of
the country to help establish the existence of and repatriate over $4
billion allegedly looted by former military dictator, Sani Abacha.
The documents showed that Mr. Monfrini, an influential legal
practitioner in Switzerland, is director of 178 companies scattered
around Panama and the British Virgin Islands.
The revelations are among the findings of a lengthy investigation by
the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, German
newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and more than 100 other global news
organizations.
Although the documents did not directly implicate Mr. Monfrini as
having committed any crime, still, the revelation points to the
hypocrisy of a man widely revered for his remarkable ability to
dismantle tax evaders and looters across jurisdictions.
Mr. Monfrini is a founding partner of Monfrini Crettol &
Associates, one of the most recognised legal services providers in
Switzerland.
In 2000, Mr. Obasanjo hired Mr. Monfrini’s firm to help recover
Abacha loot, which was estimated to be more than $4 billion at the time.
According to Mr. Obasanjo, Mr. Monfrini helped the Nigerian government secure the release of N267 billion–$1.34 billion.
As at December 2010, Mr. Monfrini was the director of the following offshore companies in tax havens:
Director of 17 PMA (Panama) company in ACT status.
Director of 3 BVI company (British Virgin Island) in ACT status.
Director of 1 PMA company in CAR status (to others)
Director of 38 PMA company in DIS status
Director of 1 BVI in DIS status.
Director of 44 PMA company in INA status.
Director of 65 PMA company in MOR status.
Director of 6 BVI company in MOR status.
Director of 3 PMA company in REN status.
Director of 3 BVI company (British Virgin Island) in ACT status.
Director of 1 PMA company in CAR status (to others)
Director of 38 PMA company in DIS status
Director of 1 BVI in DIS status.
Director of 44 PMA company in INA status.
Director of 65 PMA company in MOR status.
Director of 6 BVI company in MOR status.
Director of 3 PMA company in REN status.
Mr. Monfrini could not be reached to comment for this story.
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