Jonathan reacts to bribery allegation, says he has no account or property outside Nigeria

TRACKING>>The report according to Punch is about the alleged filling of a case by the Federal Government in London on the controversial Malabu oil deal.

On Saturday, May 11, 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari pointedly accused former President Goodluck Jonathan of receiving bribe in the infamous Malabu oil deal of 2011, and conspiring with Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Petroleum Resources Minister, to defraud Nigeria.

While denying the report and dismissing it as a cheap, predictable and recycled falsehood, the former president said he has never opened an account outside Nigeria.

Jonathan also said he does not own any property outside the country.

The former president stated this in a statement issued by his media adviser, Mr Ikechukwu Eze, on Saturday, May 11, 2019.

Describing it as a fabricated bribery claim, Eze said there nothing new in the report because Jonathan had denied it in the past.

He said, “Former President Goodluck Jonathan did not ask for or collect any bribes, neither has he been charged for asking or collecting bribes, neither will he ever be charged with asking for or collecting bribes, because such never happened.

“That this particular dispute predated the Jonathan administration and survives it. That former President Jonathan is 61 years old and throughout his life has never opened an account, nor owned property outside Nigeria.”

The former president’s media adviser challenged those behind “this latest propaganda” to provide their evidence in court about the alleged bribe.

He said, “In fact, we expected something like this ever since it was announced that former President Jonathan would lead the Election Observation Mission of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa to South Africa’s national and provincial elections.

“We are well aware that this claim was intentioned to eclipse the goodwill and positive reports of former President Jonathan’s diligent engagement in South Africa’s national and provisional elections.

“The fact that most major media houses in the country refused to republish this falsehood bears out our conviction that Nigerians can no longer be deceived by hollow and diversionary claims of corruption, in the face of worsening state of affairs in the country.

“We have always made it clear that beyond this wave of conjecture, former President Jonathan was not linked, indicted or charged with collecting any monies as kickbacks or bribes from ENI by the Italian authorities or any other law enforcement body the world over.

“It bears repeating that the documents relating to the transactions and decisions of the Federal Government on the Malabo issue, during the Jonathan administration, are in the relevant Government offices, where they are accessible.

“We would like to point out that all the actions taken by the Jonathan administration in relation to activities in the oil industry were legally conducted by relevant Nigerian Government officials and were carried out in the best interest of the country.”

Eze maintained that Jonathan, whether in office or out of office, still does not own any bank account, business or real estate outside the country.