SwitzerlandA Swiss judge has charged Abba Abacha, son of the late Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha, with money-laundering in connection with billions of dollars in embezzled Nigerian state funds. Abacha, arrested in Germany in December, was extradited to Geneva on Thursday and indicted yesterday with money-laundering, fraud, forgery and participation in a criminal organisation, Judge Daniel Dumartheray said.
Nigerian authorities have accused the inner circle of Sani Abacha, a military strongman who died in 1998 after five years in power, of plundering up to $3 billion in offshore accounts. Switzerland agreed in February to return some $458 million to Nigeria which was siphoned into Swiss bank accounts by Sani Abacha.
Swiss justice ministry spokesman Folco Galli said yesterday: "The money is still here and we are still in the process of clarifying how to hand it over." Swiss banks had deposits of some $700 million from Nigeria, and have handed back $200 million.
Oil-rich Nigeria, which is struggling with poverty and violent clashes, says it will spend the money on development projects. Nigeria is ranked as the world's third most corrupt country by sleaze watchdog Transparency International.