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Conferences and workshops

Tracking Faulty Towers (Canterbury, UK)

Strategies and techniques for tracing property purchases from proceeds of bribery and corruption in the UK: a one-day conference hosted by Dr Gbenga Oduntan at Kent Law School on 29 July 2017.

https://youtu.be/hpLznsna8C8

The conference was aimed at the diaspora communities of West Africa and offered an introduction into strategies and techniques for tracing ownership of companies and properties bought from the proceeds of bribery and corruption in the UK.

Conference organiser Dr Gbenga Oduntan said: ‘It has become clear in the last few decades that the phenomenon of stolen capital flight is one of the principal causes of underdevelopment. The stolen wealth of developing states and the proceeds of bribery and corruption in their participation in international business has found safe haven in the Western hemisphere.

‘Nigeria alone expects £6.1 million to be repatriated from the sales of homes owned by the former delta state governor James Ibori and another £80 million laundered through the UK by other Nigerian officials.’

Speakers included:

  • Professor Bolaji Owasanoye: Executive Secretary Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Nigeria, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
  • Olarenwaju Suraju: Representative of Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC)
  • Nicholas Hildyard: Director, The Corner House
  • George Turner: Director, Finance Uncovered (and also works at Tax Justice Network)
  • Dr Gbenga Oduntan: Reader in International Commercial Law, Kent Law School
  • Simon Taylor: Director and Co-founder, Global Witness

The conference was sponsored by The Corner House, Global Witness and HEDA (the Human and Environmental Development Agenda).

Tracing Noxious Funds Conferences (Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria)

Klepto Asset Recovery Tours

A tour of assets forfeited to Nigeria by the disgraced, former Defence Boss, Alex Badeh.

Establishment of an African Caucus Agenda on Asset Recovery

Held at the eighth Conference of State Parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption (CoSP-UNCAC) on 18 December 2019 in Abu Dhabi.