In our review of high profile corruption trials today, two actors, a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, faces trial in a $20 billion money laundering saga that made even the devil look like a saint.
Mrs. Alison-Madueke is facing corruption charges in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria.
Read on:
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday November 12, 2019, had given the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) until March 2020, to have a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, extradited to Nigeria.
The commission had in November 2018 filed 13 counts of money laundering against the ex-minister accusing her of unlawfully taking into her possession $39.7 million and N3.32 billion with which she allegedly bought choice properties in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt in Rivers State, while she was in office.
The judge threatened to strike out the money laundering case should the anti-corruption agency fail to produce the defendant in court by March 2020.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Faruk Abdullah, had earlier pleaded with the judge to adjourn the case sine die (indefinitely), on the grounds that the EFCC was facing challenges in its bid to extradite the defendant from the United Kingdom.
Diezani has been in the United Kingdom facing corruption investigations since 2015 when she left office as minister.
The prosecution on November 11, 2018, filed the 13 counts of money laundering accusing Diezani of unlawfully taking into her possession $39.7 million and N3.32 million when she reasonably ought to have known that the money formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activities.
She was said to have purchased choice landed assets with the money using different fronts as the owners.
In September 2013, she allegedly used the name of Rusimpex Limited to acquire a property named Block B3 comprising of six penthouses and 18 flats at Zone N Federal Government Layout, also known as Bella Vista Estate, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, with $37.5 million.
On June 4, 2012, she was said to have used the name of Azinga Meados Limited to buy 13 three-bedroom terrace houses with one room maids’ quarters at Mabushi Gardens Estate, Abuja, with N650 million.
In May 2012, she allegedly used the name of Chapel Properties to buy eight four-bedroom terrace houses, two three-bedroom penthouses, six three-bedroom apartments, two three-bedroom mansionette, two two-bedroom apartments, one four-bedroom apartment at No. 4/6 Thorbun Avenue, and No 5 Raymond Street, Yaba, Lagos, with N937 million.
She was also said to have in May 2012, purchased in the name of Blue Nile Estate Limited, 16 four-bedroom terrace houses, at Plot 2C, Omerelu Street Diobu GRA, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with N928 million.
She was also said to have in January 2011, bought in the name of Vista Point Company Limited, six flats of three-bedrooms with one boy’s quarters each, lawn tennis court, gym, garden and appurtenances, at 135 Awolowo Road,/Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State, with N805 million.
The ex-minister was also said to have, in December 2011, bought in the name of Sequoyah Properties Limited a property at 12, Forces Avenue, Old GRA, Port Harcourt, measuring 4,890 square metres with $2.2 million.
Her alleged offences which she was said to have committed between November 20, 2011 and September 2013 were contrary to section 15(2), (d) of the Money Laundering Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act. Related Posts
In October 2009, the Nigerian Senate indicted Diezani Alison-Madueke and recommended her prosecution for the transfer of N1.2billion into the private account of a toll company without due process and in breach of concession agreement. On October 2, 2015.
She was arrested by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in London, along with four other people on suspicion of bribery and corruption offences.
The EFCC on February 25, 2019, informed Justice Valentine Ashi of a Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court sitting in Apo that it had written the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami, SAN, in respect of her extradition from the United Kingdom.
The Commission wrote the AGF with a view for the extradition process so as to enable her face her trial as she is still in the United Kingdom.
Recall that earlier, a Federal High Court in Lagos on 28 August, 2017 ordered the final forfeiture of N7.6 billion ($21 million) alleged loot recovered from the former minister to the Federal Government.
Justice Abdulazeez Anka granted an application by the EFCC seeking the final forfeiture of the money to the government.
Also in another case before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, the judge had on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, ordered the final forfeiture of two properties in Lagos belonging to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to the Federal Government.
The properties are: Pent House 21, Building 5, Block C, 11th floor ( Bella Vista Estate) located at Plot 1, Zone N. Federal Government Layout, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The other is Pent House 22, Block B (Admiralty Estate), located at Gerrald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The properties are considered as proceeds of her involvement in corrupt practices worth billions of naira while serving as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources.
The case continues.
Meanwhile, in a recent development, tori me reported that the Court of Appeal Lagos Division, in a decision on November 26, 2021, upheld a lower court’s judgment that ordered the former Petroleum Minister to forfeit jewelries worth $40 million to the federal government.
The court, dismissed an appeal filed by the embattled former Minister challenging the forfeiture order, saying that there was no substance in Alison-Madueke’s application to overturn the lower court’s order.