The Federal Government has hired a British law firm to help it dispose of four multi-million naira properties fraudulently acquired by the disgraced former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
The firm, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, contracted by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, (SAN), on April 9, 2009, is to help sell the properties recovered through a legal proceeding brought against the former governor at the High Court of England and Wales.
Mr Alamieyeseigha’s wife, Margaret and two of his companies: Santolina Investment Corporation, (a company he incorporated in the Seychelles), Solomon and Peters Limited (a company he incorporated in the British Virgin Islands), were also joined in the suit.
The properties, according to the power of attorney given to Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge by the Attorney-General, are located on 247 The Water Gardens, Burwood Place, London, 14 Mapesbury Road, London, 68 and 70 Regents Park Road, London and Flat 202, Jubilee Heights, Shoot-up-Hill, London.
The actual description and value of the properties were not provided in the document; but a source said the properties were “prime ones whose total value could be in the region of N2 billion”.
Mr Alamieyeseigha bought The Water Gardens property for £1, 750,000.00 and paid for it in cash on July 18, 2003. It served as his London residence as well as the registered office of Solomon and Peters Incorporated.
The law firm, acting through two of its attorneys, James John Maton and Collin Stuart Joseph, is to “issue and prosecute proceedings to obtain vacant possession, to market and sell the properties and to execute deed of conveyance and other documents to facilitate the transfer of title both from the existing title holder and to the subsequent purchaser.” The firm is also to render “proper and detailed” accounts of the proceeds of the sale of the properties and maintain a Federal government of Nigeria Client Designated Account into which the proceeds from the sales would be paid.
A source at the Ministry of Justice said Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge was close to finalizing the sale of the Mapesbury Road property.
“What is delaying it is the need for a letter from Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom to the UK Land registry confirming approval to the sale. This is a requirement of the relevant office of the Land Registry when processing sales by foreign states,” the source said.
Waiting for a letter NEXT learnt that the UK law firm wrote to Mr. Aondoakaa on August 7, 2009, requesting him to direct the High Commissioner to the UK, Dalhatu Tafida, to issue the letter. It is not however clear whether the Attorney-General has issued the directive to Mr. Tafida.
The firm sent the letter after the Attorney-General claimed that he did not receive an earlier letter forwarded to his office on the matter.
After the former governor was impeached, prosecuted and jailed in Nigeria for corruption and his assets, valued at about £17.7 million confiscated, the Federal Government went ahead to institute proceedings against him, his wife, Margaret, and two of his companies in a bid to seize his assets in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Alamieyeseigha was impeached by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly in December 2005, following his arrest by the London Metropolitan Police over allegations of corruption and money laundering.
Afterwards, he was arrested and prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on money laundering and corruption offences. On July 30, 2007, M.L. Shuaibu, a judge of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, sentenced him to two years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the charges.
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