LAGOS, Jan 15 (Reuters) - A consultancy firm that allegedly
arranged a fraudulent $184 million loan announced by Nigerian
oil company Lekoil Ltd LEK.L said on Wednesday that it
welcomed an investigation into the matter.
Shares in Lekoil Ltd fell by more than 70% following a
suspension of trading after the firm discovered the loan was
fraudulent. Lekoil had suspended trading of its shares on the London
Stock Exchange on Monday after finding that the $184 million
loan it had announced from the Qatar Investment Authority was a
"complex facade" by individuals pretending to represent the QIA.
The supposed loan, which Lekoil said was arranged by a
company called Seawave Invest Limited, was intended to develop
the Ogo field within Oil Prospecting Licence 310.
The Nigerian oil company said it had paid $600,000 for
brokering the fraudulent loan, much of it to Seawave, which on
its website describes itself as an independent consultancy firm
specialising in cross-border transactions in Africa.
"Seawave Invest Ltd welcomes Lekoil's investigation and will
remain available to the best of its abilities to assist," the
company said in response to an emailed request from Reuters for
a comment.
"Seawave Invest Ltd will not make any comments at this stage
whilst awaiting for the results of its own assessment and
investigation of this matter," it said.
A person who answered the phone at Bahamas-based Seawave
directed Reuters to the law firm Holowesko Pyfrom Fletcher.
The law firm said in an emailed statement that the company
"was and has always been inactive" and was struck off by the
Registrar of Companies for default on Jan. 1. It said no one
involved with Seawave had knowledge of or involvement in the
scheme.