By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
The office of Senator Sunday Marshall Katung has described as false and misleading a report by Premium Times which linked the lawmaker’s wife, Mrs Abigail Katung, to a purported money laundering case in the United Kingdom.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Midat Joseph, on Tuesday, Senator Katung faulted the online publication’s headline titled “EXCLUSIVE: Wife of Nigerian Senator in Money Laundering Mess in UK,” describing it as sensational and inconsistent with the content of the report.
Joseph argued that Premium Times misrepresented facts, noting that the actual judgment cited in the report did not find Mrs Katung culpable of any criminal activity.
“A paragraph of the report even quoted the judge as saying, ‘However, the judge shielded Mrs Katung from having any knowledge of Mr Hussain’s criminal activities. I therefore make it crystal clear that I do not find that she was cognisant of what Mr Hussain was up to,’” the statement said.
Joseph added that the ruling in question arose from a civil, not criminal, proceeding, and made no mention of money laundering.
“It is, therefore, misleading for the media outlet to reference money laundering in the headline when the judgment made no such assertion. The entire report is devoid of any factual basis to support the claim,” the statement added.
He also revealed that the judgment is currently being appealed, cautioning the public against drawing premature conclusions.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Senator Sunday Marshall Katung and his wife, Abigail Katung, have always conducted their affairs lawfully and transparently. They will pursue all necessary legal actions to correct this defamatory narrative,” Joseph stated.
He urged members of the public and media to disregard the report and refrain from amplifying unverified claims.
