In a series of publications by PREMIUM TIMES as part of the Pandora Papers project, some former and current Nigerian public office holders were exposed as having secret and suspicious assets kept away in tax havens.
The exposé triggered calls in Nigeria for further investigation and prosecution of the individuals who have allegedly breached the country’s assets declaration laws and tax regulations.
But, like in the case of the previous Panama Papers which, six years ago, uncovered 110 Nigerians holding suspicious assets in tax havens, no politically exposed person (PEP) has been sanctioned or has vacated office due to the revelations.
“Despite actionable intelligence, no investigation on anti-money laundering, tax evasion and corruption followed,” Vaclav Prusa, a consultant at the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), said of the Nigerian government’s lethargic disposition towards bringing perpetrators of the Panama Papers to justice.
Mr Prusa spoke virtually at a three-day workshop for selected journalists reporting on corruption in Nigeria.
Unlike Nigeria, public officials indicted in countries like India, Canada and Iceland were either probed, relieved of their positions or resigned from office.
In April 2016, piles of documents listing persons with assets hidden in tax havens, for tax avoidance in home countries, were leaked to journalists who were part of the International Consortium of Investigative…
