A foundation founded by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, has fired a woman, who was a trustee of the foundation, of her position in the foundation after reports surfaced showing that she helped some Lebanese businessmen to launder millions of dollars.
The trustee, whose name was given as Ann Welsh, was video tapped negotiating a $4.9 million money laundering scheme that would have seen her pocket about a million dollars.
The video showed that Mrs. Welsh “operated a well-oiled money-laundering scheme for many years”.
The video, which went viral was tapped by one of the participants at a meeting in the United Kingdom in December 2014.
in it, , Ms. Welsh was seen negotiating a $4.9 million money laundering scheme that would have seen her pocket about a million dollars.
She used the Ebola Virus Disease tragedy in West Africa to help a group of “Lebanese businessmen” who wished to donate money to the Obasanjo Foundation for some work in Sierra Leone.
The deal was that the money would be laundered through the organization, with the Obasanjo Foundation getting $2m and the rest, $2.9m will go back to the group.
Olusegun Obasanjo, the Founder/Chairman of the Foundation said that he and other staffs of the foundation were deeply saddened and disturbed by the allegations against Mrs. Weish.
“Accordingly, the Board of Trustees has asked her to immediately resign, and she has done so.” Mr. Obasanjo said on telephone.
According to Obasanjo, the foundation has replaced Franklin Lisk.
He said that his foundation is currently investigating the matter and have already contacted personalities mentioned or photographed with Mrs Welsh in the publication that revealed the deal as well as other dignitaries and partners to inform them that ‘‘she has now become a persona non grata with the Foundation and its Chairman/Founder”.
“I can never associate myself with anything that has to do with money laundering and corruption, and this is a very disturbing development for us all,” Obasnjo said.
