Barely three weeks after $9.3 million(N1,528,920,000) in
cash transported by two Nigerians and an Israeli for arms purchase was
seized at a Johannesburg airport, yet another US$5.7 million (N952 million) arms money from Nigeria, has been reportedly seized by South African authorities.
A South African news publication, ‘City Express’, reported this on
Monday, 6 October, that the country’s Asset Forfeiture Unit of the
National Prosecuting Authority seized the $5.7 million (N952 million) for allegedly being the proceeds of illegal transactions.
According to the paper, the transaction which led to the
confiscation, was between Societe D’Equipments Internationaux, a
Nigerian company based in Abuja, and Cerberus Risk Solutions, an arms
broker in Cape Town.
The paper said the deal went sour after Cerberus which had earlier gotten from Nigeria R60 million (N1.02
billion) in its account at Standard Bank, tried to repay the money as
it it could not sort out its registration formalities with the South
African authorities.
City Press said.”Cerberus was previously registered as a broker with
the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), but the
registration expired in May this year. The marketing and contracting
permits also expired at the same time. The company has since applied for
re-registration, but the application lay in the NCACC’s mailbox for
more than two months. Sources told Rapport that Cerberus apparently
tried to pay the money back to the Nigerian company, after which the
bank became suspicious.”
The National Prosecuting Authority NPA spokesperson Nathi Mncube, was
quoted as saying that so far, there was nothing to prove that both
transactions were related. “However, both are now the subject of a
criminal investigation and all possible information and connections are
being investigated.”
This latest development comes as the dust is yet to settle over the
arrest of two Nigerians and an Israeli national in South Africa while
attempting to smuggle US$9.3 million for purchasing arms for the
Nigerian Army.
The men were apprehended at Lanseria International Airport,
Johannesburg, on 5 September, after landing from Abuja in a private jet,
with the cash loaded in three suitcases.
The House of Representatives recently threw out a motion seeking a
probe into the matter, which resulted in the walk-out of members of the
major opposition party, APC, meanwhile, the Senate has indicated its
intention to investigate the incident.