OBASANJO OFFERS RUSSIA PRISONERS SWAP

This Day (Lagos)
August 24, 2005

Adeyeye Joseph With Agency Reports
Lagos

President Olusegun Oba-sanjo has offered to swap thirteen Russians
currently facing trial in the country for illegal bunkering with
Nigerian prisoners held in Russian jails.

The one and half year old trial of the Russians has caused a big stir
in their home country. TASS, the official news agency, reported that
legislators, at a time, called on the government of President Vladmir
Putin to break relations with Nigeria over the issue.

Russian newspapers reported, yesterday, that President Obasanjo made
the offer in a letter he wrote to UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Ara
Abramyan recently.

Abramyan who is also head of the Union of Russian Armenians is at the
forefront of the political negotiations to get the Russians back home.

In the letter, Obasanjo reportedly told Abramyan that as soon the court
proceedings are finished and the verdict is announced he may “make
political steps or consider a possibility of exchanging detainees”.

Obasanjo said his offer was based on the importance attached to the
matter by the Russians. “I take your concern and intention to solve
the issue as soon as possible into an account,” the Russian media
reported the President as writing.

The President according to the UNESCO ambassador also promised “to
take care” of the sailors.

In Russia, it is believed that the sailors are victims of a sort. The
Russian media claimed that the detained sailors were only “charged
additionally” with the owner of the ship signifying that the sailors
knew nothing of the illegal bunkering activities.

The Russian Foreign ministry said its country has fulfilled the bail
demands and is waiting for Nigeria to expedite action on the bail.

“The formalities that the Nigerian court demanded from the Russian
side are fulfilled. At present, the point is that these documents
should pass through relevant Nigerian institutions,” the Russian
foreign ministry said.

The Russian sailors were arrested in October 2003 while they were
crew members of the MT African Pride, a ship that was arrested with
thousands of tonnes of illegally siphoned oil.

The hearing of the case began in March 2004. The youngest of the
suspects, who the Russian media reported to have just recovered from
malaria and to be presently sick with gastroenteritis, is 25 years
old while the oldest is 65 years.

The 10 Russians were arrested alongside one Romanian and two Georgians
by Nigerian Naval officers in October 2003 for allegedly using the
MT African Pride for illegal oil bunkering.

The ship with its oil contents later disappeared from where it was
detained. A probe of the curious disappearance of the ship by a
committee of the House of Representatives opened a can of worms on
the activities of the navy.

Three naval admirals were later tried for their roles in the ship
disappearance with two of them indicted. The other one was freed.

As part of efforts to secure the release of the detained expatriates,
the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Roseline Ukeje had on
August 4 admitted them to bail.

Part of the conditions included that the ambassadors of the respective
countries world write undertakings that the accused were known to
them and that they would produce them (accused) whenever they were
needed for trial.

But following the inability of the accused to meet this condition,
they brought an application on August 17 through their counsel, Chief
Emeto Etudo, seeking an order to vary the August 4 order of the court
admitting the accused to bail by the substitution of Ambassador of
Russian Federation and Ambassador of Republic of Georgia with Charge
‘d’ Affairs of the Russian Federation.

The expatriates also wanted an order granting leave to the Charge
‘d’ affairs to make any undertaking required from the Ambassadors of
Russia and Georgia in the said order for bail.

The counsel said the Russia ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Igor Meikhov
is presently on vacation and was unable to write the undertaking as
directed by the court.

Justice Ukeje granted the bail condition variation request.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress