World Bank to delay details on Abacha’s loot spending

The World Bank may delay release of information on how the money recovered from the late Gen. Sani Abacha was spent.

This followed the bank’s decision to refer “portion of appeal” by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to the bank’s archives unit for public access.

In a letter dated August 8, 2016 and sent to SERAP, a copy of which was made available to The Guardian yesterday, the World Bank said: “In response to your request under AI4288, we would like to inform you that we are working on your request as referred to the archives by the Access to Information Committee (AIC) in its decision on the appeal and need additional time to provide a more comprehensive response.

“We regret any inconvenience for this delay.”

The request for more time was sequel to an appeal lodged with the bank by SERAP on February 5, 2016 that the bank’s decision on its initial request did not reveal “important portions of the information requested for on how the Abacha loot was spent.”

The Guardian learnt that this is the second time the World Bank is asking for additional time to provide SERAP with details of spending on Abacha’s loot.

It would be recalled that the bank in a letter dated October 15, 2015 and signed by Ann May of the Access to Information Team had said: “In response to your request under AI3982, we would like to inform you that we are still considering your request and need additional time to provide you with a more comprehensive response.”

But SERAP’s Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said the bank’s AIC in its decision on the appeal in case number No. AI3982-A dated April 29, 2016 held that although the appeal by the organisation was not filed within 60 days of the bank’s decision as required by its Access to Information Policy, and that SERAP’s appeal nonetheless “contains a request for additional information, not previously submitted and which the bank has neither considered nor denied.