TheCable

Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, says the federal government has recovered more than N37 billion and $666.68 million in the anti-corruption war.

Malami said his ministry – in line with the anti-corruption war – recovered the money.

The minister made this revelation in Abuja, while defending the ministry’s 2017 budget before the senate committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters.

“N50 billion was the fine paid by MTN company while N7 billion and $10 million US dollar was recovered from a private residence,” he said.

“Aside some money voluntarily returned, $250 million under interim forfeiture was alleged proceeds of oil bunkering and also $136.676 million awaiting actual remittance and $270 Million was government fund recovered from commercial banks.”

He said that the ministry operated in 2016 without a capital budget.

“Our budgetary proposal of N18, 528,093,480.00 was not appropriated thereby compelling the ministry to operate on a zero capital budget,” he said.

In spite of all the odds, he expressed joy for the “uncommon achievements” recorded by the ministry.

“I am happy to state however, that we as a ministry recorded modest achievements in the act of contributing to the revenue generation of the federal government notwithstanding the zero capital budgets,” he said.

In his response to Ovie Omo-Agege, a senator representing Delta west, on payment of outstanding judgment debts, the minister explained that he was conscious and perturbed.

“Efforts are on-going to offset the outstanding and probably abate future debts,” he said.