SAN FRANCISCO, October 06, (THEWILL) – The government of Switzerland has confirmed that it had received a request for “mutual assistance” from the Nigerian government in connection with controversial oil tycoon and businessman, Mr. Kolawole Aluko and firms linked to him as the Muhammadu Buhari government expands its dragnet on allies of immediate past Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke, who was arrested in London last Friday by the UK’s National Crime Agency on allegations of bribery and money laundering.
The flamboyant Nigerian businessman who obtained Swiss residency when he fell out of favour with Deziani last year after he reportedly bailed with over $1 billion (yes $1 billion USD) proceeds from oil deals, has been living an ostentatiously flamboyant lifestyle acquiring a 50 million GBP yacht, private planes, mansions in Beverly Hills and Bel Air Los Angeles, as well as homes in New York Milan and Brazil. He also owns a fleet of super cars and courts Hollywood’s rich and famous celebrities.
International news agency Reuters said Tuesday that the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland confirmed the development in response to its query on the matter.
THEWILL’s calls to President Buhari’s spokesman, Mr Garba Shehu to get more information on the “mutual assistance” request were not immediately acknowledged.
Aluko co-chairs Seven Energy and Atlantic Energy with billionaire Jide Omokore, whose Lagos residence and office was raided by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) same Friday the former minister was briefly detained. THEWILL checks revealed that Omokore was questioned by the EFCC in Abuja on Monday and released same day. He told www.thewillnigeria.com on Tuesday afternoon in a phone chat that he was not arrested.
Seven Energy and Atlantic Energy entered into a controversial “strategic partnership agreements” worth about $6.6 billion with the NPDC, a subsidiary of the NNPC, without any competitive tender processes and were awarded five lucrative blocks to farm on behalf of the NPDC. The firms have been accused of several infringements, including non payment of royalties and taxes to the state.
