2006年VOA标准英语-Nigerian Opposition Leaders Seek Probe of Indic

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
08 November 2006
 
The Nigerian government is under pressure to investigate money laundering¹ charges against a senior presidential aide.  The official was indicted² by a U.S court for bringing undeclared cash into the United States aboard a Nigerian presidential jet in 2003.  Gilbert da Costa reports for VOA that this is seen as a real test of the presidents anti-corruption⁴ drive.

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The revelation that Andy Uba, special assistant on domestic matters to President Olusegun Obasanjo, was indicted on charges of smuggling⁵ cash into the United States, has provoked strong reactions from Nigeria's opposition⁶.

Uba was charged in a civil suit by American prosecutors⁷ for smuggling $170,000 in 2003, while traveling with the Nigerian president to the U.N. General Assembly session. 

Uba gave the money to his American girlfriend who later bought a Mercedes Benz car for shipment to Uba in Nigeria.  She also used it to pay for farm equipment for the president's farm in Nigeria.

Uba was never arrested and the matter was settled by a U.S. court just six weeks ago.  He paid an undisclosed fine and the court also ordered the forfeiture⁸ of $26,000 of the smuggled⁹ money.

U.S. law prohibits bringing more than $10,000s into the country without a declaration at the point of entry. 

The U.S. case was first reported in the Nigerian press Tuesday.

News reports say Uba has offered to resign.

The Obasanjo government is playing down opposition calls for an investigation¹⁰ by Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.  Nigerian presidential political adviser¹¹ Akin¹² Oshontokun says reports of the case are a distortion of the facts. 

"There is no substance to the story.  Anybody can just concoct¹³ fiction," Oshontokun said. "There is no substance to it.  That is just my reaction.  Andy is not an issue here.  Andy is just an aide to the president.  They are free to call for an investigation.  That is their own opinion and EFCC will oblige them.  Let them present their case to the investigating authorities.  The authorities will oblige them if they have evidence to back it up.  Everybody can be investigated, including the president."

Opposition politicians say they will continue pressing for an investigation.

Lai Mohammed of Action Congress, an opposition party, says nothing short of a full criminal investigation would be acceptable.

"We want an investigation.  We want the national assembly to wade¹⁴ in.  It is quite disheartening that a government ... whatever little credibility they have today, is anchored on probity¹⁵, should be dishonest," Mohammed said.  We gave several instances that it is only those on the wrong side of their book that EFCC is unleashed¹⁶ upon.  We support the crusade against corruption because no country can move forward without fighting corruption.  But we do not want a selective approach."

Analysts¹⁷ say the Uba case presents a test of the president's anti-corruption campaign.  Critics have alleged¹⁸ the campaign has been selective, targeting opponents of the president.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which is leading the campaign against corrupt³ and self-serving officials, appears reluctant to begin the investigation.  Chairman Nuhu Ribadu says the body will act only if U.S. authorities request the commission's intervention¹⁹. 

President Obasanjo has faced calls to resign in the wake of corruption allegations by his estranged²⁰ vice²¹ president.  

1 laundering   

n.洗涤（衣等），洗烫（衣等）；洗（钱）v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的现在分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

3 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

8 forfeiture   

n.（名誉等）丧失

参考例句：

• Both face maximum forfeitures of about $1.2 million.双方都面临最高120万美元左右的罚金。
• If he should break his day,what should I gain by the exaction of the forfeiture?如果他到期不还我从这罚金中又能得到什么好处？

9 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

10 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

11 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

12 akin   

adj.同族的，类似的

参考例句：

• She painted flowers and birds pictures akin to those of earlier feminine painters.她画一些同早期女画家类似的花鸟画。
• Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel.听他的人生故事犹如阅读一本精彩的冒险小说。

13 concoct   

v.调合，制造

参考例句：

• I gave her a tip on how to concoct a new kind of soup.我教她配制一种新汤的诀窍。
• I began to concoct explanations of my own.我开始思考自己的解释。

14 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

15 probity   

n.刚直；廉洁，正直

参考例句：

• Probity and purity will command respect everywhere.为人正派到处受人尊敬。
• Her probity and integrity are beyond question.她的诚实和正直是无可争辩的。

16 unleashed   

v.把（感情、力量等）释放出来，发泄( unleash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press. 政府的提案引发了新闻界的抗议浪潮。
• The full force of his rage was unleashed against me. 他把所有的怒气都发泄在我身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

18 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

19 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

20 estranged   

adj.疏远的，分离的

参考例句：

• He became estranged from his family after the argument.那场争吵后他便与家人疏远了。
• The argument estranged him from his brother.争吵使他同他的兄弟之间的关系疏远了。

21 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。