‘Unexplained wealth’: Saraki listed as owner of £15m London mansions

Senate President Bukola Saraki has been listed as one of the five owners of “unexplained wealth” in London.

According to Transparency International, the report was conducted by Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs), a new investigative power designed to help law enforcement agencies act on corrupt assets.

Two buildings, located at 7 and 8 Whittaker street, Belgravia, London, are allegedly owned by Saraki.

The houses are said to be worth £15 million.

According to the report, the said addresses are owned by Landfield International Developments Limited and Renocon Property Development Limited.

The report said the companies are managed by Toyin Saraki, wife of the senate president and one of Saraki’s personal aides.

“The report is particularly useful where there is no realistic prospect of cooperation or conviction in the country of origin, but there are sufficient grounds for suspicion that an asset has been acquired with the proceeds of corruption,” UWOs said.

In November 2017, Saraki was named among over 120 politicians and leaders in nearly 50 countries who have reportedly been utilising shell companies in tax haven to either conceal assets, evade tax, or launder funds.

Eighteen months earlier, a similar investigation exposed his ownership of at least three secret offshore firms which he allegedly used in concealing assets abroad.

Saraki has however denied both allegations, saying he is rich because he comes from a wealthy family.

Other people indicted in the report include Igor Shuvalov, Russian first deputy prime minister, Ahmed Mahmoud Azwai, former Libyan major-general, Nawaz Sharif, former prime minister of Pakistan, and First family of Azerbaijan, a country in Asia.

Efforts made to get the reaction of the senate president to this report did not yield the desired result as Yusuph Olaniyonu, his spokesman cut off the call put through to his telephone line.

He also refused to reply a text message sent.