Malabu: Canadian court deny Etete’s appeal to recover confisicated private jet
A Canadian court of appeal sitting in Quebec, has dismissed an appeal brought before it by former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum, Dauzia Etete.
Etete was seeking a leave to appeal a judgment given on August 4, 2020 by Justice Martin Castonguay of the Superior Court, District of Montreal, who dismissed the former minister’s appeal on the forfeiture of his Bombardier Global 6000 jet aircraft.
The former minister is alleged to have acquired the private jet from the proceeds of a fraudulent oil deal in which he amassed funds to the tune of $800m.
The Nigerian Government accused the ex-minster of fronting a company, Tibit Limited, in the ownership and operation of the aircraft.
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Ruling on Thursday, Justice Robert Mainville during a virtual court hearing dismissed Etete’s appeal on the grounds that the former minister had failed in absolving himself of the allegations leveled against him by the Nigerian government.
According to the affidavit document sworn by Babatunde Olabode Johnson, a lawyer recruited by the Nigerian Government to spearhead the legal battle against the former minister, the Etete had employed the tactics of fronting companies to cover the spending spree he embarked on with the proceeds of the fraudulent Malabu oil deal.
The affidavit also said the Nigerian Government is afraid the recovery of the aircraft might be “jeopardized without the seizure”.
“Although the general lack due diligence, this case, lamentable, what is clear from my investigations into this transaction is that there were several ‘professional frontmen’ who traded on their ability to hide assets. Borgas is a dishonest enabler, and Ickonga, his codirector, was shrewd enough to take Tibit’s records to Brazzaville to block any attempt to have them disclosed by order this court. When Borgas stepped down as a director Etete found Russa, another proxy, to step in” Babatunde said in the affidavit.
