Switzerland said Thursday that it will pay the first part of about 460 million US dollar (2,7 milliarder DKR) in seized funds stolen by Nigerias late dictator Sani Abacha back to Nigeria as soon as World Bank monitoring has been set up, reports Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
A spokesman for the Swiss federal justice ministry denied that new conditions had been imposed on the restitution (tilbagebetalings) deal, following a claim by Nigerian officials that repayment was being delayed pending the expulsion of illegal Nigerian immigrants from Switzerland.
Restitution had been ordered by the Swiss federal government last August, in a deal that included a Nigerian pledge to use the returned funds for development projects including health, education, electricity, water or road building.
The World Bank monitoring is meant to ensure that the cash is spent on development projects in the corruption-ridded huge west African country.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
