Indian businessman Raj Arjandas Bhojwani on his way into court yesterday

AN Indian businessman adopted a split personality to plunder millions of dollars from the Nigerian public purse, it was claimed in the Royal Court yesterday.

Top Nigerian civil servants and even the country’s central bank are alleged to have been taken in by 52-year-old Raj Bhojwani, who denies three charges relating to the laundering of US$43.9 million through Jersey bank accounts – money alleged to have been the proceeds of corrupt Nigerian vehicle deals.

Further allegations against the former Nigerian president, General Sani Abacha, and the current Nigerian ambassador to the Republic of South Africa, Colonel Mohammed Buba Marwa, also emerged yesterday.

Both men, the Crown alleged, were central to the deception from the start and used their powerful positions to stop the normal checks and balances being made on the corrupt deals. A third Nigerian official was also paid US$100,000 in bribes for his part in the deals, Crown Advocate Matthew Jowitt said.