Pandora Papers: I’ve never involved in any form of corruption or diversion of public funds – Peter Obi

Former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State on Thursday declared that he has never been involved in any form of corruption or diversion of public funds when and after he was governor. The vice presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election, dismissed a media report that he breached Nigerian laws by engaging in secret businesses set up in tax havens, saying that he broke no law.

Premium Times, an online publication, had in a report citing Pandora Papers, mentioned Obi among personalities who secretly set up and operated businesses overseas, including in tax and secrecy havens in ways that breached Nigerian laws.

Former Governor Obi, however, maintained that “it is exhilarating 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. The former governor urged stakeholders of goodwill ignore “the hopeless sleight,” and the publication.

The former governor stated  that Premium Times did not, however, accuse him of engaging in unlawful business ventures at any time whatsoever.

The Pandora Papers is a leak of about 12 million documents which exposed hidden wealth and tax avoidance by some of the world’s rich and powerful.

Obi noted that his understanding of the report was that the allegation emphasized more on tax avoidance and non-declaration of some jointly owned assets. He, therefore, expressed perturbation whether  thorough investigation and apprehension of all the facts and circumstances of the alleged transactions were conducted by the reporters.

He reaffirmed that he did not in any respect whatsoever violate any law before, during and after his stewardship as the Governor of Anambra.

Obi had declared: “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.”

The former governor added that he relied on professional opinions and advice of investment experts both locally and internationally in all matters relating to his investments and declaration of his personal assets, wherever they may be found.

Obi added that he engaged and acted on solicited advice by reputable legal practitioners.