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Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) - Politics - Nairaland

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Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CilicMarin: 12:31am On Oct 11, 2018
A luxury mansion co-owned by former Vice Presiden Atiku Abubakar, and his fourth wife, Jennifer Douglas, in the posh neighbourhood of Potomac, Maryland, United States, has been auctioned.

The property gained international notoriety in 2005 after it was searched by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in connection with a bribery scandal involving disgraced former U.S. Congressman, William Jefferson.
The seven-bedroom cream-coloured single family brick house on 9731 Sorrel Ave, Potomac, Maryland, was originally listed for $3.25 million on Zillow and other online real estate websites on January 25, 2018. It was eventually sold for a pending offer of $2.95 million on February 26, 2018 after an online auction.

A pending offer means a buyer and seller of the property have reached a deal. However, a buyer can still pull out from the deal (which is very unlikely) if they cannot resolve issues like cost of repairs or they cannot get a bank to approve a loan for the purchase of the property.

Atiku and his wife bought the 7,131 square feet house in December 1999 for $1.75 million. Built in 1988, the house was described on Zillow as one of the finest in the tony neighbourhood of Falconhurst, Potomac, where houses are valued between $2 million and $10 million.

The Atikus’ mansion is a colonial-style building that sits in the middle of a 2.3 acres premises of lush green trees. The mansion has a total of 21 rooms, multiple terraces which are said to be ideal for outdoor parties, a pool sauna, a gazebo, a gourmet kitchen and an outdoor swimming pool.

Sources with knowledge of the state of the mansion but who requested not to be named because they did not want to be publicly associated with this story, said the Atikus had not lived in the mansion since the politician left office as vice president in 2007.

One source told PREMIUM TIMES that after 2007, house service staff lived in the mansion for some years, but the place was later locked up, and had remained unoccupied.

Tax records from the Montgomery County, Washington DC, show that Ms. Douglas consistently paid property taxes on the mansion from 1999 to 2016. She, however, is in default of $27,913.77 being that for 2017.

The house was not in foreclosure as it was paid for completely by the Atikus and available records showed that no bank loan was involved in its purchase.


The sale of the mansion was not listed as a public auction, which is an auction done under a court order on behalf of government or its agencies.

There is also no evidence that the sale is connected to the now infamous 2005 case or any other unknown criminal investigations.
Paul Ibe, the spokesperson for the former VP told PREMIUM TIMES the sale of the mansion was voluntary and strictly an investment decision.

“Atiku Abubakar is a successful businessman who has a long history of real estate investments,” Mr. Ibe said in response to an enquiry by this newspaper.

“The U.S. home was simply one of such numerous investments. The home was no longer serving the purpose for which it was bought. Consequently, it has to be put up for sale via open auction, a growing and preferred method of selling high end properties. The proceeds thereof will be deployed to business aimed at creating jobs.”
Atiku has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the Jefferson corruption saga that led to the search of his home.

But the former vice president’s political rivals have always harped on that episode to discredit him.

What is more, the billionaire politician,  believed to be nursing a fresh bid to become president of Nigeria in 2019 after several failed attempts, has not travelled to the U.S. for a long time. That has fuelled speculations that he might be avoiding a possible arrest or prosecution.

But in an interview with the BOSS newspaper last December, he explained he had made attempts to visit the U.S. but was turned down for administrative reasons.

“I applied but wasn’t issued a visa. However, they did not decline me categorically either. They’ve only said my application is going through administrative process. It is the sole prerogative of America to determine who they want in their country or not. I’m not running away from America,” he said.


Atiku, William Jefferson and the FBI Search Warrant

The sold property attracted international media attention in 2005 after the FBI videotaped Mr. Jefferson, who was the congressman representing Louisiana, receiving $100,000 worth of $100 bills in a leather briefcase as part payment of a $500,000 bribe allegedly demanded by Atiku, who was vice president at the time, to facilitate the award of contracts to some two American telecommunication firms in Nigeria.
On August 2, 2005, the FBI applied for a search warrant from William Connelly, a US judge in Maryland, to search the Potomac mansion.

A day after the affidavit was filed, the FBI raided the congressional office of Mr. Jefferson and discovered $90,000 “wrapped in aluminum foil and stuffed inside frozen-food containers” and hidden in a freezer. The serial numbers on the bill matched those the FBI had given to an informant.

The affidavit filed by FBI special agent, Edward Cooper, in support of the application for a search warrant of the Maryland home further revealed the details of the bribery scandal.

Mr. Cooper told the court that the search of the property was necessary because the FBI has probable cause to believe that the there are evidence of the violations of Title 18 United States Code, Section 201, which relates to the bribery of a public official; Title 18 United States Code, Sections 1343, 1346, and 1349, which deals with wire fraud, deprivation of honest service and scheme defraud.

Mr. Cooper also claimed that the evidence he sought in the Atikus’ mansion were believed to be in violation of Title 15, United States Code, Section 78dd-1, which deals with the bribery of a foreign official, Title 18 United States Code, Section371, which deals with the conspiracy to commit bribery and the bribery of a foreign official.
Mr. Cooper also listed the items to be seized from the mansion as:
1. Cash in $100 denominations or higher.

2. A new, reddish-brown coloured briefcase retailed or manufactured by Bosca.

3. A reddish-brown coloured cloth bag with two drawing strings on top of the bag.

4. All video recording devices, surveillance videotapes, CDs, digital media or any other electronic devices related to the surveillance of the house grounds, driveway and premises.


5. All recording of visitors to the premises recording arrival, departure or length of stay information.

6. All records, logs, schedule of employees or personnel working at the premises from Monday July 18, 2005 at 6 pm to the present.

7. Records, documents from January 2001 to the present relating to IGate incorporated, Rosecom.net, NDTV, Multimedia Broadband Services Inc, and W2 IBBS Limited.

8. All records and documents relating to communication to and from Atiku Abubakar and William Jefferson regarding the proposed business venture in Nigeria.
The bribery investigation started in March 2005 when a “cooperating witness”, who has since been identified as a Virginia-based businessman, Lori Mody, approached the FBI after he suspected that he had been a victim of a fraudulent scheme involving Mr Jefferson, Vernon Jackson, and Brett Pfeffer.
Mr. Mody told the FBI that he suspected that the trio were scheming to defraud him of $3.5 million using Mr. Jackson’s company, iGate Incorporated.

He said he paid the money to Mr Jackson, who had developed a technology that could enable the transmission of data, audio and video through copper called “Triple Play”, for its reacquisition from another company which had acquired it from iGate. However, Mr. Jackson, after collecting the money, could not produce proof that he had reacquired the technology.

He also told the FBI that Mr. Jefferson promised to assist him with his business dealings in Nigeria for a percent share of his business, which he directed to be issued in the names of his children.

At the time, Mr. Jefferson was a member of the congressional African Trade and Investment caucus as well as member of the congressional caucus for Nigeria.

The FBI revealed that Mr. Jefferson had already received a 30 per cent equity in a Nigerian company controlled by Mr. Mody in exchange for promoting communication equipment and services offered by iGate in Nigeria. Mr. Jefferson also requested that the 30 per cent stake be placed in a Nigerian company controlled by his children.

He was expected to use his influence to communicate with the Nigerian president and vice president to secure the business venture for iGate. The FBI said he wrote to Atiku seeking his assistance in overcoming opposition to iGate’s business venture from the defunct Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL).

“With regard to the Nigerian business venture, Jefferson has discussed the making of payments to high-ranking government officials there including the Vice President of Nigeria,” the affidavit stated.

“Congressman Jefferson met with the Vice President of Nigeria on July 18, 2005 in Potomac, Maryland. At the meeting the Vice President agreed to help secure the necessary approvals for the participants in the Nigerian business venture to commence operations in Nigeria in exchange for at least 50% of profit planned to be received by CW’s (Mr Mody, the cooperating witness) Nigerian partner,” he wrote.

The FBI also claimed that Mr. Jefferson discussed the payment of $500,000 to Atiku before the commencement of the Nigerian business operations. Video surveillance taken on July 30, 2005 at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City indicated that Mr. Jeffeson collected $100,000 in a leather briefcase (a reddis-brown Bosca briefcase) from Mr. Mody, which he allegedly claimed was to be given to Atiku to secure his support for the Nigerian business venture.

Two days later, Mr. Jefferson told Mr. Mody that he had delivered what he described as the “African art” to Atiku  in the early hours of July 31, 2005.


Mr. Jefferson had originally suggested, in one of the two meetings with Mr Mody, where the possibility of bribing Atiku was discussed, that the alleged bribe should be paid into a foundation run by Ms. Douglas.
During the conversation Mr. Jefferson added that the stated aim of the foundation was to help Nigerian women. He however said the foundation was likely a front.
On the evening of July 18, 2005, the FBI stated that Mr. Jefferson visited Atiku and Ms. Douglas at their Potomac mansion and held a private meeting with the former vice president for approximately an hour.


At the end of the meeting Mr. Jefferson met with Mr. Mody at a restaurant and told him that Atiku agreed to help with securing the necessary approval for NITEL to participate in the iGate venture for a share of the profit to be earned by iGate’s Nigerian partner, Rosecom (Rosecom has a 25 per cent stake in the business) expected to earn from the business and a $500,000.00 described as “front end” payment.

Mr Jefferson also suggested that the money could be sent to Atiku through an investment in the stock market.
When eventually searched, no money was found in Atiku’s home, indicating Mr. Jefferson simply kept the bribe money to himself.

Jennifer Douglas
Ms. Douglas, also known as Jennifer Iwenjiora, Jamila Abubakar, and Jennifer Douglas-Abubakar, met Atiku in the 1980s when she was a television reporter with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
They dated for a while but lost contact when she emigrated to the U.S. While in the U.S, she married and took the name Douglas but was later divorced and became a naturalised American.

They were reunited in the early 1990s and resumed their relationship. Atiku spent a considerable amount of time with Ms. Douglas in Maryland during the regime of late dictator Sani Abacha between 1995 and 1998. Atiku was one of those who was persecuted by Mr. Abacha – his stake in logistics company, Intels, was stripped off him on the orders of Mr. Abacha.

Mr Douglas enrolled in a PhD in International Relations at the American University and received a doctorate in 2007. She and Atiku married officially in 2003. In that year, Ms. Douglas made a $1 million donation to the American University School of International Service Building Fund, an investigative committee of the U.S. Senate revealed in 2010.

The Senate committee, whose mandate was to investigate the flow of suspicious funds into the U.S., revealed that between 2000 and 2008 Ms. Douglas helped her husband bring in over $40 million in suspected illicit funds into the U.S through wire transfer from offshore corporations.

In 2008 a civil inquiry by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission claimed Ms. Douglas received over $2 million in bribe payments in 2001 and 2002, from German technology company, Siemens AG.
Though she denies wrongdoing, Siemens pleaded guilty and settled bribery related civil charges and told the Senate committee that the money was sent to her account.
Ms. Douglas, whose last known place of employment was at the American University of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirate where she was a professor on International Relations, played an active role in the establishment of Atiku’s American University of Nigeria Yola.

According to the U.S. Senate report, she approached the authorities of the American University, where she was a student in 2002 for assistance in the setting up of the university and served as a liaison between the institution and her husband. She is an unpaid trustee of the university’s board of trustees.


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/261868-exclusive-blocked-from-america-atiku-sells-controversial-2-95-million-u-s-home.html

3 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CilicMarin: 12:32am On Oct 11, 2018
Ipob pigs, here comes the President Of Biafra..

17 Likes 3 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CilicMarin: 12:32am On Oct 11, 2018
lalasticlala mynd44 please let's all be fair to both parties. Thank you

3 Likes 1 Share

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CilicMarin: 12:36am On Oct 11, 2018
FarahAideed:
If he likes let him sell the white house we will still vote him over Buhari anytime anyday ...


S


You mean you and your fellow ipob yoots?

Nigeria can never go back to her dark days!

God Forbid!

19 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by iammo(m): 12:36am On Oct 11, 2018
grin same old same old, until proven guilty by a competent law court this are mere noise making

Just like buhari was accused of stealing $2.5bn as federal commissioner of petroleum under obasanjo,

What of the 54 cases of money, ferried in from saudi through emir of gwandu, his ADC's dad as an head of state

This is a link to what lead to ousting of our Democratically elected President shagari, because General buhari just don't like him and constantly floats his orders what more crime can be bigger than that


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Nigerian_coup_d'%C3%A9tat

Or his alleged involvement in mismanagement of PTDF fund as chairman under Abacha regime the most corrupt ever


Buhari also failed to show up to clear the allegations made by petitions to oputa panel


And Ooo before I forget this is a link to an interveiw of him admitting the fact of owning four properties in Nigeria while he only shows daura country home and refuses to make his asset declaration public(like yaradua, and osinbajo) and sents all kids abroad to school yet can't buy party form

http://sunnewsonline.com/story-of-my-life-by-buhari/


after all this, we forgave buhari and gave him our mandate during 2015 election thinking he is changed, just look where our economy is now... My prayer to God is simple, if General buhari isn't deceiving Nigerians and the economy and secuirity is healthy, may Allah swt let him win 2019, but if true Nigerians are suffering, and lies of paid online propandist continue to deceive the people, May Allah send APC government packing. Amin..

27 Likes 9 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CROWNWEALTH019(m): 12:36am On Oct 11, 2018
The more you try to dent his image the more we love him, show us what bubu has done for over 3 years.

Its like a son after session, instead of bringing report card was now blaming his teachers for a poor session. The power used in searching for the sins of atiku if channeled on the works of bubu by now you would have been able to convince someone.

If Atiku like let him campaign from USA prison we go vote am. Animal president we get there
I know its hard for you this period, you must justify your 30k

29 Likes 7 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CilicMarin: 12:38am On Oct 11, 2018
iammo:
grin same old same old

Has he been granted Visa to America?

Has he refunded the common patrimony he stole?

Is it what Nnamdi Cownu teaches you?

9 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CilicMarin: 12:40am On Oct 11, 2018
[s]
CROWNWEALTH019:
The more you try to dent his image the more we love him, show us what bubu has done for over 3 years.

Its like a son after session, instead of bringing report card was now blaming his teachers for a poor session. The power used in searching for the sins of atiku if channeled on the works of bubu by now you would have been able to convince someone.

If Atiku like let him campaign from USA prison we go vote am. Animal president we get there
I know its hard for you this period, you must justify your 30k
[/s]


So Atiku pays you 10K to defend his sordid past?

11 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by Racoon(m): 12:40am On Oct 11, 2018
The BMO have really got it on a wrong footing by starting with this campaign of columny.Guess the OP have forgotten the numerous mind boggling corruption scandals of the APC government including Aisha's #2.5B gift donations from unknown persons & Yusuf Buhari's #55M power bike scandal.

14 Likes 1 Share

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by Throwback: 12:41am On Oct 11, 2018
Oby Ezekwesili has no corruption scandal, and was known to have effected due process principles in all of her public service appointments.

She is a notorious activist who has fought causes at such great discomfort, for which she had nothing to gain personally.

She rightly criticized Jonathan as a failure who had no care at all for the average Nigerian, nor bothered to even pretend to be fighting corruption. She also rightly realised that Buhari was devoted to the path of failure in his very early days in power.

Now does anyone think Atiku cares about the life of the average Nigerian more than Oby Ezekwesili? Do you think Atiku will nurture democracy and the rights of the citizenry more than Oby Ezekwesili?

Has Atiku ever fought for the basic rights of Nigerians besides fighting for his own rights to ascend the presidency of Nigeria?

What was Atiku's proffered solution to the Fulani Herdsmen he refused to accept are terrorists?

Why will the same people who say Nigeria is a failed nation, vote for the same set of people who benefit from the failure of Nigeria as a necessary prerequisite for their own success?

Oby Ezekwesili 2019!

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CROWNWEALTH019(m): 12:41am On Oct 11, 2018
CilicMarin:
[s][/s]


So Atiku pays you 10K to defend his sordid past?
Rather I'm ready to pay my hard earned savings for his campaigns to support him

4 Likes

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CROWNWEALTH019(m): 12:42am On Oct 11, 2018
Throwback:
Oby Ezekwesili has no corruption scandal
She was part of those that sold this government to Nigeria, she no go see 200 votes nationwide

6 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CilicMarin: 12:42am On Oct 11, 2018
iammo:
grin same old same old, until proven by a competent law court this are mere noise making

Just like buhari was accused of stealing $2.5bn as federal commissioner of petroleum under obasanjo

Buhari has never been indicted home and abroad....hence he contested for President and won.

Buhari has never been banned from entering any country in the universe.

Buhari is currently the Champion of Anti corruption in Africa.

Can that be said of your Atiku IPOB?

10 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CilicMarin: 12:44am On Oct 11, 2018
CROWNWEALTH019:

Rather I'm ready to pay my hard earned savings for his campaigns to support him


Poor boy! Go and receive your peanut from the whatsapp group, where you guys are herded to market a Crook to your fellow ipob yoots.

9 Likes 3 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CilicMarin: 12:45am On Oct 11, 2018
Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by FarahAideed: 12:48am On Oct 11, 2018
CilicMarin:


Buhari has never been indicted home and abroad....hence he contested for President and won.

Buhari has never been banned from entering any country in the universe.

Buhari is currently the Champion of Anti corruption in Africa.

I hear Justice Fatou has almost building a rock solid case against him and Buartai in the ICC and they will both be docked before December next year ....

6 Likes 1 Share

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CilicMarin: 12:50am On Oct 11, 2018
FarahAideed:


I hear Justice Fatou has almost building a rock solid case against him and Buartai in the ICC and they will both be docked before December next year ....

Continue hearing, but your Fugitive will only be your President in Biafra Republic...

9 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CyynthiaKiss(f): 12:50am On Oct 11, 2018
CilicMarin:
A luxury mansion co-owned by former Vice Presiden Atiku Abubakar, and his fourth wife, Jennifer Douglas, in the posh neighbourhood of Potomac, Maryland, United States, has been auctioned.

The property gained international notoriety in 2005 after it was searched by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in connection with a bribery scandal involving disgraced former U.S. Congressman, William Jefferson.
The seven-bedroom cream-coloured single family brick house on 9731 Sorrel Ave, Potomac, Maryland, was originally listed for $3.25 million on Zillow and other online real estate websites on January 25, 2018. It was eventually sold for a pending offer of $2.95 million on February 26, 2018 after an online auction.

A pending offer means a buyer and seller of the property have reached a deal. However, a buyer can still pull out from the deal (which is very unlikely) if they cannot resolve issues like cost of repairs or they cannot get a bank to approve a loan for the purchase of the property.

Atiku and his wife bought the 7,131 square feet house in December 1999 for $1.75 million. Built in 1988, the house was described on Zillow as one of the finest in the tony neighbourhood of Falconhurst, Potomac, where houses are valued between $2 million and $10 million.

The Atikus’ mansion is a colonial-style building that sits in the middle of a 2.3 acres premises of lush green trees. The mansion has a total of 21 rooms, multiple terraces which are said to be ideal for outdoor parties, a pool sauna, a gazebo, a gourmet kitchen and an outdoor swimming pool.

Sources with knowledge of the state of the mansion but who requested not to be named because they did not want to be publicly associated with this story, said the Atikus had not lived in the mansion since the politician left office as vice president in 2007.

One source told PREMIUM TIMES that after 2007, house service staff lived in the mansion for some years, but the place was later locked up, and had remained unoccupied.

Tax records from the Montgomery County, Washington DC, show that Ms. Douglas consistently paid property taxes on the mansion from 1999 to 2016. She, however, is in default of $27,913.77 being that for 2017.

The house was not in foreclosure as it was paid for completely by the Atikus and available records showed that no bank loan was involved in its purchase.


The sale of the mansion was not listed as a public auction, which is an auction done under a court order on behalf of government or its agencies.

There is also no evidence that the sale is connected to the now infamous 2005 case or any other unknown criminal investigations.
Paul Ibe, the spokesperson for the former VP told PREMIUM TIMES the sale of the mansion was voluntary and strictly an investment decision.

“Atiku Abubakar is a successful businessman who has a long history of real estate investments,” Mr. Ibe said in response to an enquiry by this newspaper.

“The U.S. home was simply one of such numerous investments. The home was no longer serving the purpose for which it was bought. Consequently, it has to be put up for sale via open auction, a growing and preferred method of selling high end properties. The proceeds thereof will be deployed to business aimed at creating jobs.”
Atiku has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the Jefferson corruption saga that led to the search of his home.

But the former vice president’s political rivals have always harped on that episode to discredit him.

What is more, the billionaire politician,  believed to be nursing a fresh bid to become president of Nigeria in 2019 after several failed attempts, has not travelled to the U.S. for a long time. That has fuelled speculations that he might be avoiding a possible arrest or prosecution.

But in an interview with the BOSS newspaper last December, he explained he had made attempts to visit the U.S. but was turned down for administrative reasons.

“I applied but wasn’t issued a visa. However, they did not decline me categorically either. They’ve only said my application is going through administrative process. It is the sole prerogative of America to determine who they want in their country or not. I’m not running away from America,” he said.


Atiku, William Jefferson and the FBI Search Warrant

The sold property attracted international media attention in 2005 after the FBI videotaped Mr. Jefferson, who was the congressman representing Louisiana, receiving $100,000 worth of $100 bills in a leather briefcase as part payment of a $500,000 bribe allegedly demanded by Atiku, who was vice president at the time, to facilitate the award of contracts to some two American telecommunication firms in Nigeria.
On August 2, 2005, the FBI applied for a search warrant from William Connelly, a US judge in Maryland, to search the Potomac mansion.

A day after the affidavit was filed, the FBI raided the congressional office of Mr. Jefferson and discovered $90,000 “wrapped in aluminum foil and stuffed inside frozen-food containers” and hidden in a freezer. The serial numbers on the bill matched those the FBI had given to an informant.

The affidavit filed by FBI special agent, Edward Cooper, in support of the application for a search warrant of the Maryland home further revealed the details of the bribery scandal.

Mr. Cooper told the court that the search of the property was necessary because the FBI has probable cause to believe that the there are evidence of the violations of Title 18 United States Code, Section 201, which relates to the bribery of a public official; Title 18 United States Code, Sections 1343, 1346, and 1349, which deals with wire fraud, deprivation of honest service and scheme defraud.

Mr. Cooper also claimed that the evidence he sought in the Atikus’ mansion were believed to be in violation of Title 15, United States Code, Section 78dd-1, which deals with the bribery of a foreign official, Title 18 United States Code, Section371, which deals with the conspiracy to commit bribery and the bribery of a foreign official.
Mr. Cooper also listed the items to be seized from the mansion as:
1. Cash in $100 denominations or higher.

2. A new, reddish-brown coloured briefcase retailed or manufactured by Bosca.

3. A reddish-brown coloured cloth bag with two drawing strings on top of the bag.

4. All video recording devices, surveillance videotapes, CDs, digital media or any other electronic devices related to the surveillance of the house grounds, driveway and premises.


5. All recording of visitors to the premises recording arrival, departure or length of stay information.

6. All records, logs, schedule of employees or personnel working at the premises from Monday July 18, 2005 at 6 pm to the present.

7. Records, documents from January 2001 to the present relating to IGate incorporated, Rosecom.net, NDTV, Multimedia Broadband Services Inc, and W2 IBBS Limited.

8. All records and documents relating to communication to and from Atiku Abubakar and William Jefferson regarding the proposed business venture in Nigeria.
The bribery investigation started in March 2005 when a “cooperating witness”, who has since been identified as a Virginia-based businessman, Lori Mody, approached the FBI after he suspected that he had been a victim of a fraudulent scheme involving Mr Jefferson, Vernon Jackson, and Brett Pfeffer.
Mr. Mody told the FBI that he suspected that the trio were scheming to defraud him of $3.5 million using Mr. Jackson’s company, iGate Incorporated.

He said he paid the money to Mr Jackson, who had developed a technology that could enable the transmission of data, audio and video through copper called “Triple Play”, for its reacquisition from another company which had acquired it from iGate. However, Mr. Jackson, after collecting the money, could not produce proof that he had reacquired the technology.

He also told the FBI that Mr. Jefferson promised to assist him with his business dealings in Nigeria for a percent share of his business, which he directed to be issued in the names of his children.

At the time, Mr. Jefferson was a member of the congressional African Trade and Investment caucus as well as member of the congressional caucus for Nigeria.

The FBI revealed that Mr. Jefferson had already received a 30 per cent equity in a Nigerian company controlled by Mr. Mody in exchange for promoting communication equipment and services offered by iGate in Nigeria. Mr. Jefferson also requested that the 30 per cent stake be placed in a Nigerian company controlled by his children.

He was expected to use his influence to communicate with the Nigerian president and vice president to secure the business venture for iGate. The FBI said he wrote to Atiku seeking his assistance in overcoming opposition to iGate’s business venture from the defunct Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL).

“With regard to the Nigerian business venture, Jefferson has discussed the making of payments to high-ranking government officials there including the Vice President of Nigeria,” the affidavit stated.

“Congressman Jefferson met with the Vice President of Nigeria on July 18, 2005 in Potomac, Maryland. At the meeting the Vice President agreed to help secure the necessary approvals for the participants in the Nigerian business venture to commence operations in Nigeria in exchange for at least 50% of profit planned to be received by CW’s (Mr Mody, the cooperating witness) Nigerian partner,” he wrote.

The FBI also claimed that Mr. Jefferson discussed the payment of $500,000 to Atiku before the commencement of the Nigerian business operations. Video surveillance taken on July 30, 2005 at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City indicated that Mr. Jeffeson collected $100,000 in a leather briefcase (a reddis-brown Bosca briefcase) from Mr. Mody, which he allegedly claimed was to be given to Atiku to secure his support for the Nigerian business venture.

Two days later, Mr. Jefferson told Mr. Mody that he had delivered what he described as the “African art” to Atiku  in the early hours of July 31, 2005.


Mr. Jefferson had originally suggested, in one of the two meetings with Mr Mody, where the possibility of bribing Atiku was discussed, that the alleged bribe should be paid into a foundation run by Ms. Douglas.
During the conversation Mr. Jefferson added that the stated aim of the foundation was to help Nigerian women. He however said the foundation was likely a front.
On the evening of July 18, 2005, the FBI stated that Mr. Jefferson visited Atiku and Ms. Douglas at their Potomac mansion and held a private meeting with the former vice president for approximately an hour.


At the end of the meeting Mr. Jefferson met with Mr. Mody at a restaurant and told him that Atiku agreed to help with securing the necessary approval for NITEL to participate in the iGate venture for a share of the profit to be earned by iGate’s Nigerian partner, Rosecom (Rosecom has a 25 per cent stake in the business) expected to earn from the business and a $500,000.00 described as “front end” payment.

Mr Jefferson also suggested that the money could be sent to Atiku through an investment in the stock market.
When eventually searched, no money was found in Atiku’s home, indicating Mr. Jefferson simply kept the bribe money to himself.

Jennifer Douglas
Ms. Douglas, also known as Jennifer Iwenjiora, Jamila Abubakar, and Jennifer Douglas-Abubakar, met Atiku in the 1980s when she was a television reporter with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
They dated for a while but lost contact when she emigrated to the U.S. While in the U.S, she married and took the name Douglas but was later divorced and became a naturalised American.

They were reunited in the early 1990s and resumed their relationship. Atiku spent a considerable amount of time with Ms. Douglas in Maryland during the regime of late dictator Sani Abacha between 1995 and 1998. Atiku was one of those who was persecuted by Mr. Abacha – his stake in logistics company, Intels, was stripped off him on the orders of Mr. Abacha.

Mr Douglas enrolled in a PhD in International Relations at the American University and received a doctorate in 2007. She and Atiku married officially in 2003. In that year, Ms. Douglas made a $1 million donation to the American University School of International Service Building Fund, an investigative committee of the U.S. Senate revealed in 2010.

The Senate committee, whose mandate was to investigate the flow of suspicious funds into the U.S., revealed that between 2000 and 2008 Ms. Douglas helped her husband bring in over $40 million in suspected illicit funds into the U.S through wire transfer from offshore corporations.

In 2008 a civil inquiry by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission claimed Ms. Douglas received over $2 million in bribe payments in 2001 and 2002, from German technology company, Siemens AG.
Though she denies wrongdoing, Siemens pleaded guilty and settled bribery related civil charges and told the Senate committee that the money was sent to her account.
Ms. Douglas, whose last known place of employment was at the American University of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirate where she was a professor on International Relations, played an active role in the establishment of Atiku’s American University of Nigeria Yola.

According to the U.S. Senate report, she approached the authorities of the American University, where she was a student in 2002 for assistance in the setting up of the university and served as a liaison between the institution and her husband. She is an unpaid trustee of the university’s board of trustees.


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/261868-exclusive-blocked-from-america-atiku-sells-controversial-2-95-million-u-s-home.html
You have been running around since Sunday like a headless chicken digging out nonsence and be posting on social media, painting people black while buhari remains a saint.
Even @12 midnight when normal human beings are sleeping, you are busy deceiving yourself with lies, deceit and propaganda.

You deserve nothing but pity ...

12 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by Throwback: 12:51am On Oct 11, 2018
CROWNWEALTH019:

She was part of those that sold this government to Nigeria, she no go see 200 votes nationwide


She was part of those that helped to sack the previous clueless failure that squandered years of prosperity and increasing debt while running down all previous savings other regimes had saved up even when the national revenue from Crude Oil was not up to half of what the clueless failure was opportune to earn.


That she was one of those who helped to sack failure in the past, is enough shinning credential in a sane and decent society.

But it seems we are confused on who we should consider a patriot and who we should consider an enemy of the state who wondered why a thief who was accused of stealing $5m as at 1983, should be jailed for stealing money not enough to buy a Peugeot.

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CROWNWEALTH019(m): 12:51am On Oct 11, 2018
CilicMarin:



Poor boy! Go and receive your peanut from the whatsapp group, where you guys are herded to market a Crook to your fellow ipob yoots.
You need to go to the street and see how people are suffering omenka, Nigerians are wise now, watch the video posted up there and see what Nigerians are saying. We go shock you bro

8 Likes 1 Share

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CROWNWEALTH019(m): 12:53am On Oct 11, 2018
Throwback:
Oby Ezekwesili has no corruption scandal, and was known to have effected due process principles in all of her public service appointments.

She is a notorious activist who has fought causes at such great discomfort, for which she had nothing to gain personally.

She rightly criticized Jonathan as a failure who had no care at all for the average Nigerian, nor bothered to even pretend to be fighting corruption. She also rightly realised that Buhari was devoted to the path of failure in his very early days in power.

Now does anyone think Atiku cares about the life of the average Nigerian more than Oby Ezekwesili? Do you think Atiku will nurture democracy and the rights of the citizenry more than Oby Ezekwesili?

Has Atiku ever fought for the basic rights of Nigerians besides fighting for his own rights to ascend the presidency of Nigeria?

What was Atiku's proffered solution to the Fulani Herdsmen he refused to accept are terrorists?

Why are the same people who say Nigeria is a failed nation, vote for the same set of people who benefit from the failure of Nigeria as a necessary prerequisite for their own success?

Oby Ezekwesili 2019!
Please don't waste votes, tell her to align with Atiku for better tomorrow

4 Likes 1 Share

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CilicMarin: 12:54am On Oct 11, 2018
[s]
CyynthiaKiss:

You have been running around since Sunday like a headless chicken digging out nonsence and be posting on social media, painting people black while buhari remains a saint.
Even @12 midnight when normal human beings are sleeping, you are busy deceiving yourself with lies, deceit and propaganda.

You deserve pity
[/s]

And You are awake by 12 Midnight waiting for any expose on your Corrupt pay master, so that you will attack the messenger and defend your crook.

6 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CilicMarin: 12:56am On Oct 11, 2018
CROWNWEALTH019:

You need to go to the street and see how people are suffering omenka, Nigerians are wise now, watch the video posted up there and see what Nigerians are saying. We go shock you bro

Lazy Nigerians like you, who spend 24hours online defending corrupt people are the one suffering..now get off my mention!

5 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CROWNWEALTH019(m): 12:56am On Oct 11, 2018
CilicMarin:
[s][/s]

And You are awake by 12 Midnight waiting for any expose on your Corrupt pay master, so that you will attack the messenger and defend your crook.
We don't need a traveling President, let him stay with us inside this country. How I wish they can ban him worldwide so that we can have him to ourselves

1 Like

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CROWNWEALTH019(m): 12:58am On Oct 11, 2018
CilicMarin:


Lazy Nigerians like you, who spend 24hours online defending corrupt people are the one suffering..now get off my mention!





















Typical omenka, always running when defeated. Whether they like it or not ATIKU will lead and rule us 2019.
Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CROWNWEALTH019(m): 1:00am On Oct 11, 2018
CilicMarin:


Lazy Nigerians like you, who spend 24hours online defending corrupt people are the one suffering..now get off my mention!




















Just as you spend 24 hours online supporting and defending saint Tinubu grin
When Tinubu go change to support Atiku, i will see how you going to change your tune. @Ayodee on twitter has changed, sarrki will soon join our media team
Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by rusher14: 1:03am On Oct 11, 2018
iammo:
grin same old same old, until proven guilty by a competent law court this are mere noise making

Just like buhari was accused of stealing $2.5bn as federal commissioner of petroleum under obasanjo,

What of the 54 cases of money, ferried in from saudi through emir of gwandu, his ADC's dad as an head of state

Or his alleged involvement in mismanagement of PTDF fund as chairman under Abacha regime the most corrupt ever

Buhari also failed to show up to clear the allegations made by petitions to oputa panel


And Ooo before I forget this is a link to an interveiw of him admitting the fact of owning four properties in Nigeria while he only shows daura country home and refuses to make his asset declaration public and sents all kids abroad to school yet can't buy party form

http://sunnewsonline.com/story-of-my-life-by-buhari/

Buhari never had anything to do with PTDF.

In fact, Atiku stole PTDF money apart from all the other fraudulent activities we've previously mentioned.

During the period when he was the Vice President of the country, Atiku was appointed to chair the Petroleum Technology Development Fund by the President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. As Chairman of Petroleum Training Development Fund(PTDF), Atiku lodged over $30million and $164 in Trans International Bank and Equatorial Trust Bank respectively from the account of PTDF according to EFCC’s forensive indictment in 2006. In fact, ‘loans’ that yielded interest as high as 15% to the banks were collected from the said banks by Atiku and his proteges AFTER PTDF millions of dollars has been lodged with the illegal account. It was all business! When the deal was busted in 2006, Atiku simply said that he ‘kept the monies for safe-keeping’ and even claimed that he deserves commendation. He brought back the PTDF “capital” that he put in private account and benefited hugely from it.


https://omojuwa.com/2016/11/4-reasons-nigerians-cannot-afford-atiku-aso-rock-tonye-barcanista/

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by rusher14: 1:04am On Oct 11, 2018
CROWNWEALTH019:

We don't need a traveling President, let him stay with us inside this country. How I wish they can ban him worldwide so that we can have him to ourselves

After the election results are read Atiku would look for America to help him but he would find no help.

grin

Make we dey look am.

5 Likes

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by CROWNWEALTH019(m): 1:05am On Oct 11, 2018
rusher14:


Buhari never had anything to do with PTDF.

In fact, Atiku stole PTDF money apart from all the other fraudulent activities we've previously mentioned.

During the period when he was the Vice President of the country, Atiku was appointed to chair the Petroleum Technology Development Fund by the President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. As Chairman of Petroleum Training Development Fund(PTDF), Atiku lodged over $30million and $164 in Trans International Bank and Equatorial Trust Bank respectively from the account of PTDF according to EFCC’s forensive indictment in 2006. In fact, ‘loans’ that yielded interest as high as 15% to the banks were collected from the said banks by Atiku and his proteges AFTER PTDF millions of dollars has been lodged with the illegal account. It was all business! When the deal was busted in 2006, Atiku simply said that he ‘kept the monies for safe-keeping’ and even claimed that he deserves commendation. He brought back the PTDF “capital” that he put in private account and benefited hugely from it.


https://omojuwa.com/2016/11/4-reasons-nigerians-cannot-afford-atiku-aso-rock-tonye-barcanista/




Let him steal all the money in CBN, we go vote am in
Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by rusher14: 1:05am On Oct 11, 2018
CROWNWEALTH019:

Let him steal all the money in CBN, we go vote am in

Vote for him but the result go clear for your eye.

E go beg for America that time.

Make we dey watch am.

6 Likes

Re: Blocked From America, Atiku Sells Controversial $2.95M U.S. Home (March 2018) by Nobody: 1:06am On Oct 11, 2018
That house was sold for $1.7m and that was on April. Why not also show us those of other politicians? What of the one belonging to General Burutai at Dubai?

My little house in Los Angeles area is now worth a little over $900k so why can't Atiku, a rich businessman own a house worth $1.7m?

What Nigeria needs now is someone to unify the country because the citizens are so divided and after that, a technocrat will take the country to promise land. Truth is the more propaganda you guys bring up against Atiku now, the more you endear him to the hearts of Nigerians.

2 Likes

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