SAN FRANCISCO, January 10, (THEWILL) – Former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has faulted media reports that he received kickbacks in the $1.3bn oil block deal involving oil giants ENI and Royal Dutch Shell, stating that he did not send the Chairman of A.A. Oil, Abubakar Aliyu, or any other person to collect bribe in the $1.3bn Malabu oil deal.
The immediate past president made this clarification in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by his Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze.
He explained that the negotiations and transactions for the $1.3bn oil deal involving oil giants ENI and Royal Dutch Shell, predated his Presidency, which came on board in May 6, 2010.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had filed seven counts bordering on the Malabu scam against nine defendants, including the immediate past Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke SAN.
Other accused persons named in the charges, filed by the anti-graft agency are: Etete, Aliyu Abubakar, Malabu Oil & Gas Limited, Rocky Top Resources Limited, Imperial Union Ltd., Novel Properties & Development Company Ltd., Group Construction Ltd. and Megatech Engineering Ltd.
The statement by Eze reads, “We make bold to point out that the former President never sent any Abubakar Aliyu, as the innuendoes in the false report suggest, to ENI, the IOCs or any indigenous operator to seek favour or collect any gratification on his behalf.”
“We wish to make it clear that former President Jonathan was not accused, indicted or charged for corruptly collecting any money as kickbacks or bribes from ENI by the Italian authorities or any other law enforcement body the world over.”
