PANDORA PAPERS: I Violated No Law, Says Ex-Gov. Obi

FORMER Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, has reacted to media reports emanating from Pandora papers which stated that he violated Nigerian laws on code of conduct for public officers by engaging in setting up some secret businesses in tax havens.

Obi through a statement issued by his media assistant, declared that he violated no laws in all his business dealings.

The Pandora Papers is an investigative report put together by a network of journalists coordinated by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

Accoring to Nicholas Ibekwe the deputy head of Investigations at PremiumTimes who particcipated in the investigation, 600 journalists and 120 news rooms across the world were involved in the work.

The report is a leak of about 12 million documents that exposed the secret wealth and shady transactions of some rich and powerful people across the world including politicians and business owners.

Obi, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, a pastor and some other high profile Nigerians were fingered in the report.

The Vice Presidential candidate in 2019 elections, Obi, was specifically accused of evading tax and not declaring his offshore assets abroad, which was considered a breach of the provisions of Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) that mandates people holding public offices to declare their assets at the point of taking up such office.

Obi pointed out that the report did not accuse him of any form of corruption during and after his stay in office as governor.

He said: “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 stated that he did not breach any law in all his business dealings and insisted that he adhered to professional advice from investment experts on everything relating to his investments and personal assets.

He urged members of the public to disregard the report.