Details of the
transaction were revealed in December 2014 by a Norwegian newspaper,Daglabet.
Admiral Bruun-Hansen,
speaking during a parliamentary disciplinary committee enquiry into the sale of
the battleships on Thursday, April 30, 2015, admitted that military officials
did not do proper due diligence before selling the ships.
“Does
this mean that anybody can buy these boats, as long as they sign a declaration?
Even terrorists? How on earth could this happen?” an angry Member of
Parliament, Erik Skutle asked during the enquiry.
“The fact that the vessels have landed in Nigeria under Nigerian flag reflects a breakdown in our systems, and I apologize for that,” the defence chief said.
After news of the
sale broke, the Norwegian government defended the transaction, saying that the
export “followed correct procedure and terms of export to Great Britain. The
re-export from Great Britain to Nigeria is a question to be handled solely by
British export control authorities.”
The Nigerian Maritime
Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA) also defended the
purchase at the time saying that Mr. Ekpemupolo’s company, Global West Vessel
Service, handles maritime security issues for the agency.
The transaction was
however eventually investigated in Norway leading to the arrest of three
Norwegian civil servants, who are now being charged for corruption.
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