Posted to the Web: Tuesday, September 26, 2006

“Apartments of this nature are very seldom presented for auction, and when they do, they are quickly snapped up,” Auction Alliance managing director, Alon Kowen, who was contracted to sell the house, told Johannesburg-based Sunday Times.

In February this year, Cape High Court judge, Denis Davis, granted the order to have Alamieyeseigha’s R9.5 million (about $1.3 million) penthouse attached following an application by South Africa’s Asset Forfeiture bureau. The Asset Forfeiture bureau had said in court papers that Alamieyeseigha bought the penthouse with money stolen from Nigerian government.

The bureau said Alamieyeseigha fraudulently obtained government funds through a Nigerian company, which later deposited the money into the account of a South African-based company, Santolina Investment Corporation.

The former Bayelsa State governor was the sole shareholder of Santolina and the money was allegedly used to buy the South African house, the Sunday Times reported. The paper reported that the Cape Town waterfront house had three en-suite bedrooms, two lounges, a designer kitchen, an entertainment room and a private pool.

The penthouse, it said, was also fitted with five plasma screen televisions, under floor heating and a soundsystem worth R500,000 (about $71,000).
While many people have private security cars patrolling their area, the exclusive neighbourhood at the V & A Waterfront on Cape Town marina, where the property is located, is being patrolled by security speedboat.