The United States obtained Default Judgments in Maryland (house valued at over $700,000) and in Massachusetts against approximately $400,000 in a Fidelity investment account. (Sources: US v. Real Property titled in the name of Solomon & Peters, located at 504 Pleasant Drive..., Case No. 8:11-cv-00662-RWT (D. Md.), Default Judgment of May 24, 2013; US v. The Contents of Account Number Z44-343021, Case No. 1:11-cv-10606-RWZ (D. Mass.), Order Final Judgment and Forfeiture filed June 13, 2012). The forfeiture actions had been brought under the Justice Department's Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative. (Source: U.S. Department of Justice, "Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Bruer of the Criminal Divison Speaks at the Franz-Hermann Bruner Memorial Lecture at the World Bank," May 25, 2011.)
According to the complaint in the case, the residence's owner of record is Solomon & Peters, Ltd. a now defunct company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. (Source: US v. Real Property titled in the name of Solomon & Peters, located at 504 Pleasant Drive..., Case No. 8:11-cv-00662-RWT (D. Md.), Verified Complaint for Forfeiture filed March 11, 2011.
According to a June 13, 2012 Order for Final Judgment and Forfeiture issued by the US federal court in Massachusetts, "The contents of account number Z44-343021 held at Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC., Boston, Massachusetts, in the name of Nicholas Aiyegbemi d/b/a/ Inadinov and Co. OAO, which account is believed to contain approximately $386,080, and all assets traceable thereto," were forfeited to the United States after all those parties with potential claims to the funds were notified but did not respond. (Source: US v. The Contents of Account Number Z44-343021, Case No. 1:11-cv-10606-RWZ (D. Mass.), Order Final Judgment and Forfeiture filed June 13, 2012; Verified Complaint for Forfeiture In Rem filed April 8, 2011.)
[Source: StAR desk research/public source of information]
There were concluded investigations/prosecutions related to this case in both the country of origin (Nigeria) and country of asset location (United States). The outcome was that PEP was convicted and sentenced in Nigeria.
According to the December 3, 2007 UK High Court decision in Nigeria v. Santolina Investment Corp and Ors, Mr. Alamieyeseigha entered a guilty plea in Nigeria's High Court to six counts of making false declaration of assets. According to the same judgment, Mr. Alamieyeseigha was arrested at Heathrow Airport in September 2005 by officers of the Metropolitan Police and initially remanded but later granted bail. In breach of his bail requirements, he left UK and returned to Nigeria in November 2005. (Source: Nigeria v. Santolina Investment Corp and Ors, [2007] EWHC 3053 (Q.B.)) In March 2013, he was pardoned in Nigeria. (Source: BBC News, "Nigeria pardons Goodluck Jonathan ally, Alamieyeseigha," March 13, 2013.)
[Source: StAR desk research/public source of information]
US: US Department of Justice's Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative; Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section; Homeland Security Investigation’s Asset Identification & Removal Group (AIRG) in Baltimore, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; District Court for the District of Maryland; District Court for the District of Massachusetts; United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland
[Source: StAR desk research/public source of information]
The specific factors that made the asset confiscation possible were 1. Application of illicit enrichment law. 2. Use of FIU's power to suspend suspicious transactions. 3. Tracing of illicit funds by investigating countries. 4. Law Enforcement to Law Enforcement Cooperation. 5. Effective co-operation between requesting and requested states and victim country.
An agreement under UNCAC Art.57(5) is planned.
Assets Confiscated
Assets Frozen/Seized
| Document Title | Size and Format | Document Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Link | Government report / press release | Go to site | |
| Link | Government report / press release | Go to site | |
| Link | Media article | Go to site | |
| US DOJ Alamieyeseigha case Press Release May 31 2013 | 348.53 KB pdf | Government report / press release | Download |
| US DOJ Alamieyeseigha case Press Release May 24 2013 | 2.3 MB pdf | Government report / press release | Download |
| Alamieyeseigha pardon BBC Article | 172.36 KB pdf | Media article | Download |