WE HAVE RETURNED THE $700M ABACHA LOOTED TO FG - SWISS ENVOY

The Government of Switzerland has disclosed that it had returned to the Nigerian government about $700m looted by late military Head of State, General Sani...
Abacha.
Switzerland Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Hans-Rudolf Hodel, made this
known in Abuja recently at a press briefing ahead of a two-day seminar
on Anti Money Laundering and Combating Financing of Terrorism.
The envoy asserted that the Swiss government was ready to reopen the
case if Nigerian government presents concrete evidence of any other
money still being held in any Swiss bank, noting that Switzerland had
no interest in withholding illicit funds. He said his country had
returned about $1.7bn to their countries of origin in the last 15
years.
"Switzerland and Nigeria agreed to request the World Bank to
participate in the review of the use of funds, in the framework of a
budget control process of various welfare projects," he said.
He disclosed that his country was yet to receive any request for
information on the November 4 Berne Declaration report: Swiss Traders
Opaque Deals in Nigeria, which allegedly accused the Nigeria National
Petroleum Corporation of conniving with some Swiss-based oil firms of
fraudulent deals, worth $6.8bn.
"I have no knowledge that we have been contacted by the authorities.
In case they will start proceedings and they will need our help; of
course, with international legal cooperation, we will help them if
they approach us. But until now, they have not approached us," he
said.