
Dr Peter Obi
‘Pandora Papers’: Obi absolves self of alleged corruption

[From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]
Former Governor of Anambra State and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Vice Presidential candidate in 2019 election, Mr Peter Obi, says he is innocent of all allegations of corruption linked to him by the ‘Pandora papers.’


Obi was reacting to a media report that he breached Nigerian laws by engaging in secret businesses set up in tax havens.
The report listed Mr Obi as one of the personalities who clandestinely set up and operated businesses overseas, including in notorious tax and secrecy havens in ways that breached Nigerian laws.
In a statement by Mr Obi’s media aide Thursday evening, the former Governor said he breached no law as been reported in some section of the media.
Obi argued 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.
According to Obi, his understanding is that the allegation bordered more on tax avoidance and non-declaration of some jointly owned assets and 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 State.
He said that in all matters relating to his investments and declaration of his personal assets, wherever they may be found, he proceeded, pursuant to professional opinions and advice of investment experts both locally and internationally.
Obi said he also engaged and acted on solicited advice by reputable legal practitioners on whose opinion he acted on.
He urged all well-meaning persons to see through what he called “the hopeless sleight, and ignore the publication.”