§ Baroness Williamsof Crosby asked Her Majesty's Government:
On what grounds they object to providing the Government of Nigeria with the material they have requested to enable them to recover state funds taken out of the country by relatives of the late dictator, General Sani Abacha; and [HL5246]
Why they consider that a Nigerian court ruling barring further investigations into the money taken out of Nigerian state funds by the Abacha family requires clarification, when courts in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Jersey and Great Britain have already ruled that the judge concerned lacks competence in the case. [HL5247]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalOfficials have been in close contact with representatives of the other jurisdictions involved in this case. I refer the noble Baroness to my previous responses to her dated 19 June and 30 July 2003. The Federal Government of Nigeria, through their English solicitors, conceded that although they contested the validity of the judgments, they would comply with them so long as they remained in force. It would serve no purpose to transmit evidence to the Federal Government of Nigeria that they may not be able to use their criminal investigation.
The Federal Government of Nigeria have now provided answers to the outstanding matters that were requested of them in October 2002 and this material is subject to review by Home Office officials.