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Tag: Allison-Madueke

  •  EFCC charges Allison-Madueke, INEC officials with money laundering

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, charged a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, and three others with money laundering.

    Allison-Madueke, who was described in the charge as “still at large”, is charged alongside, three officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on seven counts of money laundering.

    They are: Christian Nwosu, Yisa Olarenwaju and Tijani Bashir.

    The charges were read over to the three accused, who were present in court, and Nwosu, pleaded guilty to the charges, while Adedoyin and Bashir pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo then informed the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris that Nwosu had elected to enter into plea bargain with the EFCC.

    Oyedepo added that already Nwosu had made a refund of N5 million and surrendered the title document of a landed property he purchased for N25  millon in Delta State.

    Reacting, Nwosu’s lawyer, Mrs Adeku Nbangba, confirmed the position and pleaded with Justice Idris to temper justice with mercy in deciding the fate of the accused.

    The judge adjourned till April 7, for sentencing and ordered that Nwosu be remanded at the EFCC custody.

    Meanwhile, the judge granted bail in the sum of N50 million each to Adedoyin and Bashir, adding that they should deposit their international passport with the court’s registrar.

    The prosecution had alleged that the accused committed the offence on March 27, 2015 by accepting bribe from the ex petroleum minister.

    They were also alleged to have conspired to take possession of the sum of about N264 million which sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act of gratification.

    The accused were also said to have made cash payments of the sum of about N235 million, which sum exceeded the amount authorized by law, without going through a financial Institution.

    EFCC further alleged that Bashir (fourth accused) also made a cash payment of about N70.1 million to Adedoyin (third accused) without going through a financial institution and which sum exceeded the amount authorized by law.

    The prosecution also alleged that Bashir also directly took possession of the sum of about N165 million which sum he ought reasonably to have known formed part of an unlawful act of gratification.

    In count seven, Nwosu (second accused) was alleged to have directly used the sum of N30 million which he ought to have known formed part of an unlawful act of gratification.

    The offences are said to have contravened the provisions of sections 15 (3), 16 (2) and 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Amendment Act, 2012.

     

  • Allison-Madueke gets Sept date in money laundering suit

    Allison-Madueke gets Sept date in money laundering suit

    For the second time in six months, ex-Petroleum Minister Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has been told by a London court that she has a case to answer regarding the £27,000 money laundering and bribery allegation made against her by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA).

    She will be returning to the court in September this year, after the Westminster Magistrate’s Court granted the request of the NCA on March 31, for another six months to give the agency more time to tighten its case.

    Mrs. Madueke will be on bail with her mother Mrs. Beatrice Agama, the lead suspect; son Ugonna Madueke, family friend Ms Melanie Spencer, wife of a Ghanaian oil tycoon, Kevin Okyere; and one of her siblings till the court reconvenes in September.

    It is typical of the NCA, drawing its authority from the Proceeds of Crime Act, to ask for more time for its investigations to build a strong case.

    The Proceeds of Crime Act says: “The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) sets out the legislative scheme for the recovery of criminal assets with criminal confiscation being the most commonly used power.”

    Confiscation occurs after a conviction has taken place. Other means of recovering the proceeds of crime, which do not require a conviction, are provided for in the Act, namely civil recovery, cash seizure and taxation powers.

    The investigation is now global, extending to Nigeria and Switzerland, where billionaire businessman Kola Aluko was questioned and his home raided on the request of the NCA.

    Aluko, with Swiss nationality and owner of Atlantic Energy, did some oil deals with NNPC while Alison-Madueke was in charge. He is believed to be a key figure in the money laundering network.

    Atlantic Energy signed a lucrative strategic alliance in 2011 with NNPC while Alison-Madueke was in charge of Petroleum Ministry, giving it rights to sell oil from four big blocks on behalf of Nigeria.

    Before the oil price crashed, Aluko said the commercial value of the contract was estimated at $7 billion.

    Aluko confirmed to the Sunday Times of London last year a probe on potential violations of the United Kingdom Proceeds of Crime Act and Bribery Act, but professed his innocence.

    He said: “I am willing to co-operate with anybody. I have nothing to hide.”

    The businessman added that he paid the rent on a flat in St John’s Wood in London for Alison-Madueke’s mother, “as well as bringing her ‘hams, sausages and orchids”.

    Beatrice, Alison-Madueke, son and others involved in the laundering and bribery allegation risk losing the £27,000 in contention and jail term if the charges were filed and proved against the respondents.

  • Ex-oil minister Allison-Madueke to face trial in London

    Ex-oil minister Allison-Madueke to face trial in London

    •Quizzed by UK agency for corruption, bribery, money laundry

    •Fours others also

    Indications emerged yesterday that former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke, and four other people arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the United Kingdom yesterday will be tried in London.

    Late reports from London yesterday said Allison-Madueke and the four other suspects were released on bail pending their arraignment in a London court on Monday on allegations of bribery, corruption and money laundering.

    The suspects were said to have been questioned for several hours following their arrests in different parts of London four months after the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, pledged his country’s support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war.

    Cameron had in a meeting with Buhari during the latter’s visit to London in May assured the Nigerian president of his government’s readiness to provide technical assistance to the Nigerian government to aid its anti-corruption reforms.

    Reports yesterday indicated that Allison-Madueke was arrested by the NCA along with four others for crimes related to bribery, corruption and money laundering.

    Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was said to have been working quietly with NCA towards arresting Allison-Madueke and other Nigerians believed to have corruption cases to answer.

    The EFCC yesterday invaded the Asokoro, Abuja home of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources simultaneously as she was arrested in London and later sealed it off.

    According to investigation, EFCC operatives were drafted to the posh residence of the ex-Minister at about 5 pm yesterday.

    While the NCA was yet to disclose the identities of the five suspects arrested in London at press time, the British High Commission in Nigeria confirmed that it had been notified of the arrest of five suspects by the NCA.

    Based on a warrant, the EFCC operatives were still searching the residence of the ex-Minister at press time.

    A top source in EFCC, who spoke in confidence, said: “Based on preliminary investigation, our operatives were drafted to the residence of ex-Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke for a search.

    “The search was conducted in connection with the ongoing investigation of some corrupt practices during Diezani’s tenure as minister.

    “We will not give you details now but the nation will be briefed accordingly soon on our findings.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “We have been collaborating with NCA for a while but we will not disclose the identities of those arrested in the UK in order not to prejudice investigation.”

    A statement on the website of the NCA simply said: “The National Crime Agency’s recently formed International Corruption Unit has arrested five people across London as part of an investigation into suspected bribery and money laundering offences.”

    When further calls were placed to NCA line(+442079795835), it was only a machine that was responding.

    The Press and Public Relations Officer of the British High Commission in Nigeria, Mr. Joe Abuku, who spoke with our correspondent at 5.56 pm said: “Yes, I know of some arrests by the National Crime Agency, but there was no mention of their nationalities.

    “Five people between the age range of 21 and 60 years were arrested by the NCA for bribery and corruption but they have not given us the details of those involved.”

    Asked about the amount involved, Abuku said: “No one can say now but it was in connection with acts related to bribery and corruption.

    “But the NCA has notified the British High Commission in Nigeria about the arrests.”

    The NCA is the UK agency that leads law enforcement against serious and organised crimes.

    It has national and international reach and the mandate and powers to work in partnership with other law enforcement organisations to bring the full weight of the law to bear on serious and organised criminals.

    During his recent visit to the US, President Buhari had interacted with Nigerians in the diaspora at the country’s embassy in New York, during which he said that the Federal Government was examining evidence which could lead to the arrest and prosecution of some former ministers and other government officials who looted government funds and stole the nation’s crude oil.

    He lamented that some of the affected officials were involved in illegal sale and diversion of crude oil monies belonging to the federal government to multiple private accounts abroad.

    He said: “We are now looking for evidence of shipping some of our crude, their destinations and where and which accounts they were paid and in which country.

    “When we get as much as we can get as soon as possible, we will approach those countries to freeze those accounts and go to court, prosecute those people and let the accounts be taken to Nigeria.

    “The amount of money is mind-burgling but we have started getting documents.

    “We have started getting documents where some of the senior people in government, former ministers, some of them had as much as five accounts and were moving about one million barrel per day on their own.

    “We have started getting those documents. Whichever documents we are able to get and subsequently trace the sale of the crude or transfer of money from Ministries, Departments, Central Bank, we will ask for the cooperation of those countries to return those monies to federation accounts and we will use those documents to arrest those people and prosecute them. This, I promise Nigerians.”

    At the UN General Assembly a few days ago, President Buhari reiterated his resolve to ensure that those who misappropriated billions of naira belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum were prosecuted.

  • Police foil attempt to kidnap Allison-Madueke’s brother

    Police foil attempt to kidnap Allison-Madueke’s brother

    The Bayelsa State Police Command yesterday foiled an attempt by a four-man gang to abduct Mr. Egedegu Agama, a brother to former Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke.

    The gunmen were reportedly heading to Yenaka, Allison-Madueke’s community, to carry out their mission.

    But the police were said to have gathered intelligence report on the abduction and moved in.

    Police spokesman Butswat Asinim, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident.

    He said the police got a tip-off at 3:30pm that some hoodlums wanted to kidnap Agama.

    The spokesman said policemen ambushed the hoodlums at the Marine Police Waterside, Yenaka community of Yenagoa and arrested the suspects.

    He said Bethel Alasuo, 37 and Jackson Ofolo, 28, from Odewari in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, were among the suspects.

    Asinim said Ezibor Ibilo, 33, from Gbarain and Funpere Kpou, 28, from Gbarantoru, were the other suspects.

    He said: “The police recovered one Makarov Para Pistol, two T-shirts with the inscription ‘SECURITY’ at the back and two Bandanas that can be used as face masks. The suspects have been detained at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department. The investigation is ongoing.”

  • Allison-Madueke: NPDC commences refund of $1.48b

    Allison-Madueke: NPDC commences refund of $1.48b

    Minister  of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke yesterday said the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) has started refunding $1.48 billion to the Federation Account.

    She spoke with State House correspondents.

    Mrs Allison-Madueke, who said she stepped on many toes in reforming the oil sector, denied reports she was pleading with former Head of State Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar to help prevent the incoming government from probing her.

    She said: “I do believe that I have done the best for Nigeria in this job and I have attained many firsts in the history of oil and gas, especially in the reforms that we have done. In this period of time, I have stepped on many big toes, particularly the fleet of the cabals that were in the industry when we came in.

    “Because I have said severally that we will open up the industry to Nigerians and we have done that not to the pleasure of certain cabals.  And I have been continuously maligned because of this and we have taken millions and in fact billions of dollars out of the hands of foreign multinationals and their subcontractors and put them in the hands of Nigerians through Nigerian Content.

     “Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have come into the oil and gas industry because of our reforms.

    “Quite frankly, I think as unprecedented as it is, it does not please everybody and that cannot be helped but let us remember the unprecedented reforms that have happened in the oil industry during our time, such as major gas reforms, the Petroleum Industry Bill, which has been completely revised, reformed and put into the hands of members of the National Assembly where it has languished for two years.

    “In that bill are all the reforms needed to tear NNPC apart, make it a national oil company, an equity share company through transparency, accountability and responsibility and reduce corruption in the industry. We did all these and we put them in place to reduce corruption.”

    On the corruption allegation against her, she said  her tenure witnessed the most open period in the history of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    She said: “So, for me to be tagged with corruption, $10 million jet purchases. Who buys jet for $10 million for goodness sake? And $20 billion missing money for which PWC had done a report and the $1.48 billion, which is not missing, which is actually money transferred by the NNPC to NPDC, which is a subsidiary and NPDC has actually started making payments under my directives.

    “I have said that during our time there are gaps in the NNPC and I said that openly. But I can also say that there is no time in Nigerian history in the oil and gas has NNPC been as open and audited as it is today.”

    She denied plotting to run away from the country after her tenure expires.

    “Let me state it clearly for the records that Nigeria is my country and I am not going anywhere. I love my country and I do think that I have done the best for my country and I would also like to point out that these malicious, malevolent, vindictive libels coming out of places, such as Osun Defender and other faceless online and other entities need to stop.

    “We have done enough for this industry. We cannot please everybody. Yes, we have stepped on toes but we did that in the best interest of Nigeria and we have opened up the oil and gas industry to Nigerians. Thousands of Nigerians have benefited from our reforms in the system.”

    On her meeting with Gen. Abdulsalami, she said: “I believe that His Excellency has already answered that and called it unnecessary mischief and I will ask that the media do its research properly and deal with the  facts. I have the privilege of meeting with many senior statesmen, during the course of my job in the federal executive council and I was surprised that he should be singled out in any such form. The short answer is no.

    “I have not sought such assistance because I am not aware that I have been indicted of any crime that I will need a soft landing. Over the last four years, I have been severally and unfortunately accused and labelled in so many malicious and vindictive ways. I have explained these things and pushed back robustly on these accusations  and I have even gone to court on many of them. Yet they keep being regurgitated. And I think it is unfortunate, particularly when we are moving into a transition period and looking forward to an incoming government  which is coming to take over where we have ended.”

    She appealed to marketers to make fuel available to Nigerians.

    “PMS is available, make it available to Nigerians, we have worked so hard to build the system and we don’t want it distracted in these latter days,” she said.

  • Ministers at FEC meeting

    Ministers at FEC meeting

    Minister of State Education, Prof.Viola Onwuleri, Minister of Petroleum, Deziani Alison Madueke, Minister of Women Affairs Hajiya Zainab Maina and Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ekon Enyakenyi during the Federal Executive Council Meeting at the State House Abuja on Wednesday. PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN.
    Minister of State Education, Prof.Viola Onwuleri, Minister of Petroleum, Deziani Alison Madueke, Minister of Women Affairs Hajiya Zainab Maina and Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ekon Enyakenyi during the Federal Executive Council Meeting at the State House Abuja on Wednesday. PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN.

  • NLC backs Reps on probe of Petroleum Minister

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has backed the move by some members of the House of Representatives to investigate the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Madueke’s expenditures on hired private jets.

    In a statement titled “Create Jobs; Stop the Private Jets Jamboree NOW!,” issued on Sunday,  President, Abdulwahed Omar, urged that lawmakers to probe the ostentatious spendings of the state governors and other public office holders in the country.
    “We support the move by the National Assembly to probe Mrs. Allison-Madueke. The probe should equally be extended to the Governors and other public office holders involved in this national shame, ” Omar said.
    According to him, the NLC is alarmed at the reported level of waste by public office holders in Nigeria, particularly high profile public officers such as State Governors, Ministers and even their aides in the use of hired private jets.
    The NLC boss added that the allegation that Madueke spent the sum of N3.120 billion in two years maintaining a private jet which will be probed by the House of Representatives, is a welcome development.
    Omar said that the probe is timely as it is coming at a time that other public office holders, including state governors had also been alleged to have squandered as much as N130 million monthly to hire and maintain private jets.
    He expressed concern that in a country in urgent need of development infrastructure that are capable of lifting up our local industries, create real employment, deliver quality social services; it is not only sad that our public officers are shamelessly enmeshed in financial recklessness, it is equally condemnable that so much public funds are being expended on acquisition and hiring of private jets even to destinations conveniently plied by commercial airlines.
    ” It is abhorring that state governors who have always complained of inability to pay the minimum wage to public servants in their states under the pretense of paucity of funds could embark on such wastage at the expense of the sweat and sacrifice of workers and to the detriment of the development of their states.
    ” The governors, in particular, have collectively made attempts to sponsor bills at the National Assembly to undermine workers interests, particularly on the minimum wage. Each time issues of wages come up, they are the first violators, insisting often times that their states lack the resources to accommodate increase in wages while their tastes and thirsts for high profile life styles goes on unabated.
    The NLC noted that : “It is nauseating that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, whose ministry supervises the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, which has become the most prominent in financial scandals involving public institutions in Nigeria, will chose to be flying in hired private jets while the petroleum industry is sliding in stinking rots.”
    “Refineries and other infrastructures under her supervision have totally collapsed; management of resources meant to uplift the industry has become subjects and sources of several scandals in recent times.
    “While the alleged disappearance of over $20billion from the accounts of the NNPC is still a subject of probes by both arms of the National Assembly, the public is still groaning under shortages or complete absence of petroleum products at pump stations.
    “This same minister was recently quoted as advocating further excruciating hardships for Nigerians through complete removal of petroleum subsidy, including kerosene which the poor and the working class depend on.
    “Indeed, what is further required is a holistic, transparent and result-driven probe of the entire financial recklessness of public resources on adventures that contribute nothing to the development of our country.
    “The lifestyles and greedy thirsts of our public officers are completely deceptive and inconsistent with our collective reality as a country with a non performing economy, high unemployment rate, mass poverty and near total infrastructural collapse, ” Omar stated.

     

  • Allison-Madueke, others for confab

    THE International Conference on Petroluem Refining and Petrochemicals will hold at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State be tween September 28 and 29.

    Top government functionaries, including the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and Executive Director Petroleum Technology Department, Dr. Oluwole Oluleye, are expected to deliver papers at the event.

    The theme of the conference is: Creating wealth through diversification, transformation and development of our refineries and petrochemical industries.

    A statement by Prof. Godwin Igwe, Executive Conference Chairman, and Director of the Centre for Gas, Refining and Petrochemicals of UNIPORT, said one of the lead paper presenters would be Mr. N. John Erinne, the immediate past president of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers. He will speak on: “Realising Nigeria’s Petrochemicals Potential.’

    Others expected are the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. OdeinAjumogbia; former Minister of Science and Technology, Prof Itabassey-Ewa, Director-General/CEO, NOTAP, Federal Ministry of Science & Technology, and Managing Director of Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited (IEPL), Dr. Umar Buba Bindir.

    Others are the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. OdeinAjumogbia; Minister of Science and Technology, Prof Itabassey-Ewa, Director-General/CEO, NOTAP, Federal Ministry of Science & Technology, and Managing Director of Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited (IEPL), Dr. Umar Buba Bindir.

  • The ill-fated Ribadu report

    The Minister for Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke’s checkered tenure is again under public scrutiny, even as the Presidency plots to turn the joke on her traducers. Harassed and harangued last January by the distrust and beleaguered Nigerians, who have borne the results of the irresponsible leadership in the government, Madam Minister conjured a deft survival strategy. She sought out and ensconced Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and a few other gentlemen as a deodorant to deodorise the putrid odor oozing out from the petroleum industry, under her watch. Ribadu, surprisingly, was game in January; though as the game progressed, the more you watched, the less you saw.

    Several months after, the game came to an end, and the result had to be announced. But first orchestrated match fixing scandal. So, two members of the Ribadu committee, Steve Oronsaye and Ben Otti popped up right before Mr. President to claim that the report was worthless. Doubtful of the success of that gamble, the propagandist skills of Doyin Okupe, the new President Jonathan’s Goebbels and spokesperson was called to duty. Now to ensure the untimely death of the report and to give a decent burial, a Ministerial committee headed by Emeka Wogu, the Minister for Labour has been recruited. The so called white paper will be no different from the biblical white sepulcher, and to hope otherwise is blatant hallucination. How Nigerians thought that President Jonathan’s administration will probe itself over the main essence of power in Nigeria, the control of the petroleum resources, baffles me.

    As a non-believer in the process leading to the Ribadu and the other two Ministerial committees set up by the Minister for Petroleum, this writer had approached the Federal High Court, Lagos, for declaratory orders and injunction against the committees. My contention was that the Minister lacked the administrative powers to set up the committee, with the expansive powers she purportedly handed over to them. Again, in my deposition before the court, I argued that the process was designed to waste public resources and divert attention from the allegations of massive corruption in the petroleum industry.

    I contended that the Minister as a delegatee of clearly defined administrative powers lacked the locus standi to delegate the powers delegated to her to a fanciful committee of her choice. It was also my contention that the Minister lacked the legitimate powers to delegate the constitutional and statutory powers of several agencies and bodies of the republic to her friends, against the clear provisions of the extant laws. The underlying fact being that except for advisory purposes, the committee’s findings would not have the necessary legal legitimacy, which can be latched upon by the security agencies to bring any indicted person to account to the Nigerian public. Unfortunately the court struck out the matter.

    But the incongruity of the Minister’s action played out as the reports of the committees were submitted. Where they ministerial committees or presidential committees? The confusion was adumbrated by the President’s chief spokesperson, Dr. Reuben Abati, in the run up to the forced receipt of the report by the President, who initially allowed the Minister to fumble in her mess. With the report leaked to the international press, the presidency was forced to ask for the report. The purpose as events have shown was to bring the report to disrepute. But as the presidency plotted against the committees’ report, they failed to remember that Ribadu as a game was more of a rugby than a cricket. He simply dusted his profile from his days at the EFCC, and ever since, President Jonathan and his Minister’s already tattered integrities on this matter have become like the victims of hurricane Sandy, that recently buffeted the United States.

    As things stand, Mallam Ribadu has succesfully given the administration a bloody nose for using him to temporary deodorise the putrid odor in the petroleum industry. The committee has also given the public another opportunity to confirm the grievous corruption in the oil industry, regardless of what Steve Oronsaye and company may rather want them to believe. But that is where the gains will likely end. The only way that anything worthwhile can come out of the efforts of the committees is that Nigerians mobilise to demand more accountability in the management of their petroleum resources. What baffles me is why the presidency nay public officials at all levels will disregard statutory bodies that have the backing of law, and resort to ad hoc committees that ultimately serve less useful purpose.

    In the petroleum industry for instance, the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) was established under the statute to tackle the opacity in the petroleum industry. Their findings over the years have shown the level of rot in the industry. Duly appointed local and international auditors have shown that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is a corrupt megalomaniac, proudly above the laws of the land. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is imbued with powers to investigate economic crimes and they have been handed the audit reports, if we are to believe the executive. We have the office of the Auditor General of the Federation and that of the Attorney General and Minister for Justice. Yet, Nigerians are sold the dummy that the Ribadu committee and the other committees will bring the magic wand.

    As the presidency continues to seek ways to undermine itself in the oil business, let us hope that they do not finally undermine the republic. The National Assembly which is empowered by the constitution with the power of oversight has always chosen to appear impotent whenever asked to perform in the oily industry. I guess it is left for Nigerians to turn the table in their favour.