IF THE FRENCH GOVT. CAN PARDON DAN ETETE OVER MONEY LAUNDERING CONVICTION, WHY THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION?

Free Man, Dan Etete

You would recall the long lingering money laundering case against Dan Etete the former Nigerian minister of Oil matters in which he (Etete) was tried and convicted in his absence in French court, the French Govt has now cleared the former Minister of the conviction. 

The French government said in bulletin number 3, dated March 7, 2014, issued by the Ministry of Justice, Criminal, Cases and Pardon Division that Etete had been pardoned and cleared of the conviction by the French court. The bulletin, which was signed by the magistrate in charge of the national criminal record, Xavier Pavageau, said the former minister was freed.

The French court in 2007 sentenced Etete, who was Petroleum Minister under the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, to three years imprisonment after finding him guilty of money laundering charges. Etete, who was tried by the French court in absentia, was also fined

300,000 euros(about $440,000) by the French for money laundering. Plus another conviction for using 15 million euros of funds believed to have been fraudulently obtained to buy properties in 1999 and 2000, including a chateau in northwest France, a Paris apartment and a luxury villa in the chic Paris suburb of Neuilly. The court, which then issued a warrant for Etete’s arrest also ordered him to pay 150,000 euros to Nigeria as compensation for moral prejudice and 20,000 euros in fees. “In spite of the judicial vicissitudes that he has unfortunately known in the beginning of years 2000, he is now free of any constraint and he complies with the fiscal and legal French administrations.”

The questions Nigerians now need urgent answers from the French are: has Etete paid back all the monies he was accused of stealing/laundering or were those charges trumped up charges to have warranted such an international pardon? Without doubt, I think the French Govt. has a lot more explanations to make to the Nigerian people on the main reason why they should believe that Etete should keep the monies or that the monies are now in French coffers. 

No-wonder the statement of pardon added: ''As you know, Mr. Dan Etete, eminent personality in Nigeria is a great friend of France and has been so for many years''.

I am beginning to suspect the West of massive conspiracy and double-standard against Nigeria, that those who steal our wealth and share with them goes free.