Nigeria: Ex-president called to testify on oil scandal

By Rafiu Ajakaye

Lagos Nigeria (AA) - Nigeria’s parliament has summoned former President Goodluck Jonathan to testify over the alleged diversion of $1 billion in the awarding of a major oil bloc license.

The deal, reportedly concluded in 2011 when Jonathan was in office, related to the country's oil processing license 245, popularly called the Malabu deal, as the lucrative oil bloc was originally sold to the firm Malabu Oil and Gas. Dogged by litigation, the deal was later cancelled and the license given to Shell before it was again revoked and re-awarded to Malabu in sketchy circumstances.

A parliament committee probing the deal said in a statement on Wednesday that inviting Jonathan to give testimony was in the interest of “natural justice and fair play” since his name “featured prominently” in revelations about how the deal was struck.

“Jonathan was the president at the material time the ministers brokered the deal that led to the allegation of $1 billion diversion of funds. Jonathan’s name features in the proceedings initiated by the public prosecutor of Milan, Italy,” according to a statement signed by House member Razak Atunwa.

He added the former president was being summoned since a British court ruling in the matter "castigated the Jonathan administration as not having acted in the best interest of Nigeria in relation to the ‘deal’.”

The committee said Jonathan could send in a written submission in place of testifying in person.

Jonathan had earlier denied any wrongdoing in the deal.