Court Rules Today On Diezani’s ‘Hidden’ N7.6b

The Federal High Court Lagos will today decide on the hidden N7,646,700,000 by the former Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke, whether the money can be permanently be forfeited to the Federal Government.

On August 9, 2017, vacation judge Justice Chuka Obiozor granted an order temporarily forfeiting the money to the Federal Government.

Justice Obiozor’s order followed an ex parte application argued before him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He adjourned till today for the bank and any other interested party to appear before him to show cause why the funds should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

The EFCC told the judge that the N7.6 billion was part of a sum of $153,310,000, which Mrs. Alison-Madueke allegedly siphoned from the coffers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) sometime in 2014.

The anti-graft agency said she stashed the money in three banks, adding that the Federal Government had since February last year, through an order by Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court, Lagos recovered part of the money from the other banks.

The anti-graft agency recalled that the Federal Government had recovered N23.4 billion, $5 million and another N9.08 billion of the $153.3m million.

It urged the court to order Sterling Bank to deliver up to the Federal Government the N7.6 billion still in its custody.

In an eight-paragraph affidavit, an operative of the EFCC, Usman Zakari, averred that the former Petroleum Minister laundered the money in connivance with other officials of the NNPC.

On August 7, 2017, Justice Obiozor ordered the permanent forfeiture to the Federal Government of a $37.5million Banana Island property allegedly bought in 2013 by Mrs. Alison-Madueke.

The property designated as Building 3, Block B, Bella Vista Plot 1, Zone N, Federal Government Layout, Banana Island Foreshore Estate, consists of 24 apartments, 18 flats, and six penthouses.

The judge also ordered that $2,740,197.96 and N84,537,840.70 realized as rent on the property is permanently forfeited to the government.

Last Tuesday, the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the interim forfeiture of 56 houses allegedly bought between 2011 and 2013 for $21,982,224 (N3,320,000,000) by Diezani.

Justice Abdulaziz Anka adjourned till September 8 for anyone to show cause why the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

On August 8, 2017, The Nation revealed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) traced N47.2 billion and $487.5million to the ex-minister.

The agency also claimed that Alison Madueke had N23,446,300,000 and $5 million (about N1.5billion) cash in various banks, which were yet to be forfeited.

The commission is also investigating properties in Britain and the United States she allegedly purchased with stolen government funds.

Alison-Madueke, who was a powerful member of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet from 2010 to May 2015, has consistently denied the allegations.