UK to commence trial of Diezani Alison-Madueke, in June

It has been reported that the United Kingdom will commence the trial of Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke who was a former Minister of Petroleum Resources and four others in London, in June 2017, over allegations of money laundry and corruption.

The former Minister who has been in the UK since 2015, was said to have hid some of the proceeds acquired through corruption while in office in the UK.

Recall that on October 2, 2015, the National Crime Agency, NCA, in UK, arrested Diezani and four others which includes her brothers, for alleged money laundering and corruption.

The Nation reported that a source from EFCC says one of the four suspects and Diezani’s hideout in UK was recently. The source also refuted the claim that the anti-graft agency were secretly negating with her on how to refund the proceeds.

According to the source: “The UK investigators have gone far on the allegations against Diezani. From the records made available, the ex-minister and four others will face trial as from June.

“We have taken more evidence to the UK, including all court records relating to the final forfeiture of $153million. We have a huge pile of documents. In fact, one of the suspects on the radar of investigators has been located in London and he is under surveillance.”

On claims of a negotiation between the EFCC and the former Minister.

The source said: “There is no basis to negotiate with the ex-Minister in view of the overwhelming evidence at our disposal. You should ask yourself what purpose the negotiation will serve. The EFCC is set for the trial of the ex-minister at home and abroad.

“It is curious to be talking of a curious negotiation with someone who has a prima facie case to answer.

“The ex-minister has forfeited $153m; we have had far-reaching investigation on her involvement in the $115m poll bribery scandal; we have seized some of her choice properties and she has consistently maintained that she is ready for trial. So, what is the basis for negotiation when we have a good case?”

Messrs Abiye Agama and Somye Agama are Diezani’s siblings operating some UK-based businesses but suddenly stopped operations after the NCA and the EFCC investigations became strong.

The two of them are directors of Hadley Petroleum Solutions Limited, a company the authorities believe was used for money laundering. The other directors are Ugonna Madueke and Abu Fari.

According to EFCC records, some of the assets  linked with Mrs. Alison-Madueke are:

•    A block of six units service apartments on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi
•     Six units terrace flats in Yaba, Lagos Mainland
•     Twin four-bedroom duplexes in Lekki Phase I
•     Two duplexes on Banana Island
•     A duplex in Asokoro District, Abuja
•     A mini-estate in Mabushi, Abuja
•     A set of 12 terrace duplexes at Omaremi Street  in Port Harcourt
•     Large expanse of land at Oniru, Victoria Island in Lagos
•     A multi-billion Naira estate in Yenagoa
•     Two apartments in Dubai marked as J5 Emirates Hills (30million Dirham) and  E146 Emirates Hills valued at 44million Dirham
•     A hotel in Port Harcourt under investigation
•     $37.5m mansion on Banana Island in Lagos.

But Alison-Madueke had maintained that some of the slush funds and assets attributed to her including the $153million, are personal property and will in no way steal from Nigerian government.

“I have up till now chosen to maintain my silence and not to respond to inaccurate press reporting. However, given the level of deliberate inaccuracies, I am now forced to respond because it is clear that the EFCC is taking advantage of my silence to try me by media and to convict me in the eyes of the public on false reports.

“First and foremost, whilst the reasons for my being out of the country are public knowledge, the principle of fair hearing demands that I should have been notified of formal charges if truly there was a prima facie evidence or indictment against my person linking me with the said issue, so as to ensure that I had adequate legal representation.

“This was never done. I wish to state that I cannot forfeit what was never mine. I do not know the basis on which the EFCC has chosen to say that I am the owner of these funds as no evidence was provided to me before the order was obtained and they have not in fact served me with the order or, any evidence since they obtained it.

“I do not therefore, understand how the EFCC can in the same breath say that the monies in question are mine. If they had evidence that the monies were mine then they would not /should not, have used the procedure which applies only to funds of unknown ownership. If indeed they used this particular legal procedure because they did not know who owned the monies, then how can they now be falsely attributing the ownership to me?

“Let me re-state categorically as I have always maintained, for the record, I have not and will never steal money from or defraud the Federal Government of Nigeria.  I am willing to respond to any charges brought against me that follow duly laid down procedures.”