An ongoing investigation by SaharaReporters into the money laundering scandal involving the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation has revealed significant instances of conflicts of interest involving former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his recently fired aide, Anne Welsh.
Our investigation exposed suspicious financial dealings that connect Mr. Obasanjo with Ms. Welsh and her husband, Marvin Welsh. Mr. Welsh is a Canadian national and an oil executive doing international business.
SaharaReporters had reported that the Charity Commission of the United Kingdom, which has responsibility for monitoring and regulating all the activities of charities and foundations, has since June 2014 been investigating apparent conflicts of interest in the Obasanjo Foundation.
Since its inauguration in 2012, the Obasanjo Foundation has had Olusegun Obasanjo, Anne Chigoziem Welsh, Marvin Welsh, and a woman named Temilade Marcella Olatunde as its directors. SaharaReporters’ investigation has found that Ms. Welsh, Mr. Welsh, and Mr. Obasanjo were financially connected in a number of other companies, along with Temilade Marcella Olatunde.
Between 2011 and 2014, Marvin Welsh, Anne Welsh and Temilade Olatunde all served as directors in New World Capital Ltd, a financial management company. Both former President Obasanjo and Ms. Welsh were also directors in Arise Consult, another financial management company.
The family ties and corporate connections grow deeper, according to investigations carried out by SaharaReporters. Our investigative reporter discovered that the Caucasian woman seen accompanying Ms. Welsh in a viral video released last week, in which Ms. Welsh discussed a money laundering deal, is Sierra Welsh—a stepdaughter to Anne Welsh.
Sierra is reportedly Mr. Welsh’s daughter from his previous marriage. Several sources associated with the Obasanjo Foundation confirmed Sierra Welsh’s identity to SaharaReporters, on the condition that their own identities should not be disclosed. The sources were all able to identify Sierra from the video footage. Furthermore, Anne Welsh referred to her accomplice as “Sierra” in the video recording released last week.
SaharaReporters has also learned that Sierra was hired in 2014 to serve as Anne Welsh’s personal assistant, and was aware of her stepmother’s schedules and meetings. Sierra Welsh has also been identified as a “business development representative” for Arise Consult, a company now owned by Anne Welsh.
In the money laundering video, Ms. Welsh is seen boasting that the Obasanjo Foundation had engaged in multiple acts of money laundering by accepting donations from benefactors who later had some of the donated funds funneled back to them. She also declares that Mr. Obasanjo had been the conduit for cash going to President John Mahama of Ghana.