The Chair of the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, Ginger Onwusibe, has refuted allegations made by a cryptocurrency firm executive regarding a bribe demand. The executive claimed that Onwusibe, along with two other lawmakers, requested a $150 million bribe to prevent his arrest and prosecution in Nigeria for financial crimes. Onwusibe denied these accusations, stating that they are false and defamatory.
Onwusibe explained that the Committee initiated an investigation into the cryptocurrency firm following a petition from a civil society organization. The firm was invited to a public hearing to address the allegations, but the CEO failed to appear, sending legal representatives instead.
In response to escalating accusations, Onwusibe filed a lawsuit against the cryptocurrency firm and its CEO, seeking an apology, retraction, and damages. He dismissed the latest allegations as a diversion tactic by the firm and clarified that neither he nor his committee collaborated with Nigerian security agencies during the investigation.
Onwusibe highlighted the firm’s history of legal issues in various countries, including the conviction of its founder for financial crimes. He expressed disappointment in how the public responded to the situation, believing that many accepted the firm’s narrative without examining the facts, leading to damage to his reputation and that of his political party and ethnic group.