The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Diezani Alison-Madueke

  • EFCC arraigns INEC officials over Diezani bribery

    EFCC arraigns INEC officials over Diezani bribery

    The Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned three Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials for allegedly receiving bribes from former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to compromise results of the 2015 general elections.

    Christian Nwosu, Yisa Adedoyin and Tijani Bashir were arraigned before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    They allegedly collected N264.88million bribe on March 27, 2015 from the minister ahead of the election.

    Nwosu pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted for the offence of receiving N30 million bribe.

    Mrs. Alison-Madueke, said to be at large, was named in the charge.

    Prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, said Nwosu opted for plea bargain.

    The EFCC lawyer said Nwosu refunded N5million and surrendered title document of a landed property he bought for N25million in Delta State.

    According to him, EFCC acted on an intelligence report that Mrs. Alison-Madueke stashed $115million in a bank, with an oral instruction that the money should be converted to naira.

    The former minister was said to have directed that part of the money should be given to certain INEC officials.

    Oyedepo said N30million was traced to Nwosu, who hid it in a Hilux van in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, following which the suspect was invited to the EFCC where he confessed to the crime.

    He tendered Nwosus confessional statement and a document with which the INEC official acknowledged receipt of the N30million.

    Oyedepo urged the judge to convict Nwosu as charged following his guilty plea and the evidence adduced.

    Justice Idris held: “In line with the plea of the defendant coupled with the facts and the exhibits tendered by the prosecutor, the defendant is hereby convicted as charged.”

    Nwosu’s lawyer, Mrs. Adaku Mbama, urged the judge to temper justice with mercy in sentencing her client.

    The other defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

     

  • Judge orders final forfeiture of Diezani Alison-Madueke’s N34 billion

    Judge orders final forfeiture of Diezani Alison-Madueke’s N34 billion

    A federal court sitting in Lagos on Thursday ordered the final forfeiture of about N34 billion linked to former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

    Justice Muslim Hassan, had on January 6, issued an interim forfeiture order on the funds.

    In his ruling, Justice Hassan said he was satisfied with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) argument that the monies were proceeds of illegal activity.

  • EFCC to court: Order forfeiture of Diezani’s N9.08b to FG

    EFCC to court: Order forfeiture of Diezani’s N9.08b to FG

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday urged the Federal High Court in Lagos to order the forfeiture of N9.08 billion allegedly laundered for former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, to the Federal Government.

    Justice Muslim Hassan had on January 6 ordered the temporary forfeiture of the money.

    They include another sum of N23, 446,300,000 and $5milion (about N1.5billion) said to be stashed in different banks.

    The court ordered the banks holding the money to supply proof that it was not stolen or risk losing it permanently to the federal government.

    Only an Executive Director of First Bank Plc, Dauda Lawal, responded to the call.

    EFCC said the allegedly laundered money was a proceed of crime.

    The commission’s lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, on Tuesday prayed Justice Hassan to make an order forfeiting the money permanently to the federal government.

    Justify the freezing of the money, the lawyer said Section 17 (1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act makes a property that is reasonably suspected by EFCC to be proceeds of unlawful act forfeitable to the federal government.

    Oyedepo said, “Can it be said that from the facts and circumstances of this case, that the N9,080,000,000.00, which is the naira equivalent of $40million cannot be reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity?”

    The EFCC lawyer said there was a conspiracy to launder the money, adding that there was “a meeting of the minds” by those it indicted.

  • Court refuses to unfreeze Diezani’s associates’ assets

    The Federal High Court in Lagos has refused to unfreeze the assets and funds of businessmen Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore, who were linked to former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

    The Federal Government sued the duo over an alleged $1.8 billion debt.

    Their companies – Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited – were joined in the debt recovery action.

    The Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) are the plaintiffs.

    Through their lawyer, Mr. Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN), the  plaintiffs had in May obtained a mareva injunction freezing the defendants’ assets and funds both within and outside the country.

    The judge restrained the defendants and their privies from accessing their funds and assets both within and outside the country pending the determination of the suit.

    The defendants had, however, approached the court with an application, seeking to discharge the mareva injunction.

    The court dismissed the application, holding that the defendants’ assets and funds would remain frozen until the final determination of the substantive suit.

    The mareva injunction granted by the court is binding on all the local and foreign banks where the defendants were believed to have funds.

  • EFCC excludes Diezani, Aluko from $1.6b charge against ex-NNPC directors

    EFCC excludes Diezani, Aluko from $1.6b charge against ex-NNPC directors

    *Court grants N50m bail each to Omokore, others

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) made last minute adjustment to a $1.6billion charge it filed against associates of former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

    The commission applied for the exclusion of the names of the former minister and a businessman, Kolawole Akanni Aluko, who were mention in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/121/2016.

    Alison-Madueke (said to be at large)  was named in count 8 of the charge  and accused of “abetting the commission of money laundering,” by the those listed as defendants in the charge.

    Aluko (also said to be at larage) was accused of engaging in conspiracy and money laundering and fraud.

    The EFCC’s decision to exclude Alison-Madueke and Aluko from the charge was informed by the insistence of the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako that it was impossible to proceed with the arrangement yesterday when the ex-minister and Aluko were not in court and had not been served with the charge.

    Although prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) argued that the arraignment could be done without Alison-Madueke and Aluko, who were merely mentioned in the charge, but not as defendants, the judge insisted that both names must either be excluded or they be served with the charge and produce in court before arraignment could take place.

    Shortly after Jacobs applied for the exclusion of the names of the ex-minister and Aluko from the charge, the judge directed tha the charge be read to the defendants.

    Those arraigned were businessman, Jide Omokore, former Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC), Victor Briggs, Abiye Membere, former Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Abiye Membere, Manager, Planning and Commercial of the NNPC, David Mbanefo and twocompanies linked with Omokore – Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited.

    They were arraigned on a nine-count charge and accused of obtaining under false pretence and engaging in money laundering estimated at about $1,646,140,379.90.

    Omokore was alleged to have used the Strategic Alliance Agreement signed between the NPDC and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited to swindle the NPDC and the Nigerian government of monies running into billions of dollars through the lifting of crude oil from some oil wells between March 2013 and May 2014.

    The other accused persons who were senior management staff of the NNPC are accused of conspiracy in inducing the NPDC to facilitate the lifting of crude by Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited  and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited.

    “They were also accused receiving car gifts from Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited.

    They pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them.

    Following their plea of not guilty, Based on their plea, Jacobs, SAN, asked the court for a date for the commencement of trial.

    Following an application from the defence team, Justice Nyako granted bail to the defendants at N50million each with a surety.

    The judge said such surety must either be a director in the federal Civil Service or must have a landed property in the jurisdiction of the court.

    She adjourned to October 19 for the commencement of trial

    Part of the charge reads:

    *That you Olajide Jones Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Ltd and Kolawole Akanni Aluko (now at large) between May and October 2013 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, induced the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Federal Government of Nigeria to deliver to you 5,652,227 barrels of crude oil (Brass blend) valued at the sum of US$616,013,615.27 (six hundred and sixteen million, thirteen thousand, six hundred and fifteen US dollars, twenty seven cents) through the medium of a contract (Strategic Alliance Agreement), which delivery was induced by false pretence to wit: the representation that you had technical competence, professional skills and funds (both local and foreign) necessary to support NPDC in petroleum operation for the OML 60, 61, 62 and 63 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act Cap A6, 2010 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

    *That you Olajide Jones Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Ltd between January and March 2014 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court! By false pretence. And with the intent to defraud, induced the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Federal Government of Nigeria to deliver to you 1,899,640 barrels of crude oil (Brass blend) valued at the sum of US$207,061,574.68 (two hundred and seven million, sixty one thousand, five hundred and seventy four UD dollars. And sixty eight cents) through the medium of a contract (Strategic Alliance Agreement) which delivery was induced by false pretence, to wit: the representation that you had technical competence, professional skills and funds (both local and foreign) necessary to support NPDC in petroleum operation for the OML 60,61, 62 and 63 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act Cap. A6, 2010 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

    *That you Olajide Jones Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Ltd between May2013 and March 2014 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, obtained by false pretence and with the intent to defraud 7,551,867 barrels of crude oil (Brass crude) valued at the sum of US$823,075,189.95 (eight hundred and twenty three million, seventy five thousand, one hundred and eighty nine US dollars and ninety five cents) from Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Federal Government of Nigeria on false pretence that you had funds (both local and foreign) necessary to support the NPDC Limited in petroleum. Operation for the OML 60, 61, 62 and 63 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act Cap A6, 2010 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

    *That you Olajide Jones Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Ltd, Victor, Abiye Membere and David Mbanefo between 2013 and 2014 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: obtaining property by false pretence by inciting the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). And the Federal Government of Nigeria to deliver to Olajide Jones Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Ltd and Kolawole Akanni Aluko (now at large) 7,551,867 barrels of crude oil (Brass blend) in total, valued at the sum of US$823,075,189.95 (eight hundred and twenty three million, seventy five thousand, one hundred and eighty nine dollars and ninety five cents) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act Cap A6, 2010 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

    *That you Olajide Jones Omokore,  Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Ltd sometime in 2013 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit an offence, to wit: laundering of proceeds of an unlawful act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

    * That you Olajide Jones Omokore,  Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited, Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Ltd and Kolawole Akanni Aluko) now at large) sometime in May and October 2013 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did convert 5,652,22 barrels of crude oil (Brass blend) into the sum of US$616,013,615.23 (six hundred and sixteen million, thirteen thousand, six hundred and fifteen US dolars, twenty seven cents) which you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act (to wit: stealing of the said crude oil) of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Ltd and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Ltd and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.

  • Reps invite Alison-Madueke to explain roles in crude oil swap

    Reps invite Alison-Madueke to explain roles in crude oil swap

    The House Representatives committee on Crude Oil Swap on Monday formally invited the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Alison – Madueke, to come and make clarifications on the crude oil swap arrangement under her supervision.

    In a letter dated February 22, 2016 and signed by the Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, the former minister is expected to appear before the lawmakers on Wednesday, March 2, to explain her role in the product swap arrangements with oil marketing companies.

    The letter which was sent through the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) reads:

    “Preponderance of the document and evidence at the hearing points to the need to invite you for further clarification on the issue.”

    The committee requested that she provides documents which include -a full brief on all swap arrangements, a proof of Presidential /Federal Executive Council approval, NNPC board resolution on the contract, evidence of the approval limit of the board, that of the minister of petroleum and that of the GMD of NNPC.

     

  • EFCC ‘investigating’ Okonjo- Iweala, Diezani, Aluko

    The former Minister of Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with corruption cases perpetrated during the last administration, the chairman of the anti-graft agency, Ibrahim Magu, said on Monday.

    Magu, who spoke during the budget defence session with the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes, added that a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, is also under the EFCC radar.

    Kola Aluko, a close associate of the former Petroleum minister, alleged to have helped in taking a large chunk of the nation’s funds out of the country, is also being investigated by the commission.

    Magu, who responded to questions by a member of the committee, Hon. Razak Atunwa , on whether the two  ex-ministers and Aluko were included in the EFCC investigative list, said “very soon, we will go into the petroleum industry.”

    “Such investigation requires that we have to build capacity, we have to bring in experts to enable us tackle what we are doing properly and the investigation must be conducted properly. We have internal lawyers and external lawyers, we have to pay insurance,” he stated.

    Magu had earlier in his speech asked the committee to consider and approve additional N500 million to assist the EFCC operational activities as more sectors of the economy may come under investigation during the year.”

     

     

  • The home front

    The home front

    The UK arrest of Diezani Alison-Madueke is serious signal that the anti-corruption
    war must open on the Nigerian turf

    The arrest in London, of Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Petroleum Resources minister and four others on bribery and money laundering allegations, is as good an augury as any, that President Muhammadu Buhari’s corruption war must start here.

    But that augury is also reminiscent of a rather disturbing déjà vu: despite recurring Nigerian anti-corruption storm and thunder, foreign capitals have always heralded the opening of the corruption theatre of war.

    James Ibori, convicted former governor of Delta State, got his judicial comeuppance in London for proven sleaze, after a Nigerian court, under Justice Marcel Awokulehin, cleared him of all charges.

    Diepreye Alamieyesiegha, tried, convicted but granted presidential pardon here in Nigeria, followed the same trajectory.  His travails started in London where the Metropolitan Police arrested him, even as sitting Bayelsa State governor in 2005; from where he reportedly jumped bail, before a suspect impeachment process hallmarked the start of his trial and conviction.  Now, the British authorities want Alamieyesiegha back in their capital: to resume his trial from the time he allegedly jumped bail, and fled to Nigeria.

    The ongoing saga of Buruji Kashamu, presently an Ogun State senator, also started in the United States.  Now, Uncle Sam is demanding his extradition for alleged drug offences.  The Diezani affair is following the same path.

    Yet, the funds in contention, in the proven sleaze involving Ibori and Alamieyesiegha; and the alleged one involving Mrs. Alison-Madueke, are Nigerian money.  So, why do we tend to show less zest, than foreign governments, to recover our own stolen money and gaol the thieves?

    The answer would appear the structure of the country’s criminal justice system: ponderous and frustrating; and also skewed against the state, which appears pathetically powerless against its own laws, no thanks to elite cynical manipulation.

    But there is even a more deleterious angle to it all: milking ethnic emotions to justify sleaze, and threatening thunder and brimstone, should an accused be rightly punished.  Such cant, driven by rotten values, is playing out in the incipient campaign against a possible Alamieyesiegha extradition to Britain.

    But first, there is a plausible case to be made against Alamieyesiegha’s extradition.  The charges he will face — are they the same ones for which he was tried, convicted but pardoned after he had served his term in Nigeria; or another set of charges?

    That appears the basis of the opposition of Senator Forster Ogola, chairman of the Bayelsa State caucus in the National Assembly: “What is the basis,” he queried, “of this new extradition, having gone through all legal processes culminating in a presidential pardon”?

    To be sure, the bit about presidential pardon is irresponsible stacking of cards, for the propriety of that can be questioned.  What serious anti-corruption president would, as former President Goodluck Jonathan did, grant such a pardon, in a milieu as morally reckless as the one in which he operated?  Would he not be fairly charged — as indeed he was — for boasting a corruption-tolerant body language?  Still, legally a pardon wipes the crime clean; and a fair legal system cannot, in all good conscience, revisit that crime again.  On this score, therefore, the anti-Alamieyesiegha extradition ensemble do have a legal straw to clutch.

    But not so Serena Dokubo-Spiff, Bayelsa Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, who went on a binge of empty appeal to victimhood: “They plotted against our son, former Mr. President [Jonathan] and denied him the opportunity of returning to power.  Now, they are after another noble son of ours, in the person of DSP Alamieyeseigha.  This injustice will not stand.”

    What injustice?  And is stealing state funds noble — or was Alamieyeseigha not convicted of sleaze?  And wasn’t the graft responsible for the mass poverty and underdevelopment of his own people?  How does this ethnic equivalent of cutting your nose to spite your face help the Alamieyeseigha campaign?  Does nativity automatically cancel felony in our statue books?

    In fairness to Mr. Dokubo-Spiff, such silly sentiments are not exclusive to his locality.  It is a pan-Nigeria menace, which tends to rationalise corruption under ethnic cover.  Now, if a people stand up to defend corruption which is sure to eventually kill them, are they not merrily digging their collective graves?

    That is why President Buhari must realise that in his anti-corruption war he faces not only the degenerate elite who have a notorious penchant for manipulation.  He also faces a largely misguided mass of people who daily rig the finest points of their own cultural essence, by defending a rogue son or daughter caught with his or her hand in the cookie jar.  To successfully fight corruption, therefore, his presidency needs to be resolute and clinical.

    But the job would be half done if state institutions are strengthened to do their job as and when due, with absolutely no regard to the perceived status of the one in the dock; or the tantrums of his or her misguided people, including traditional rulers.

    So, neither the EFCC nor the ICPC need observe a president’s body language before routinely doing their job.  That alone would be a corruption of the process — either under Jonathan, whose body language condoned graft; or under Buhari, whose body language hates sleaze.

    With strengthened and well-funded institutions, investigations would not take an eternity.  Even after, these investigations would not be wilfully bungled, as it is with many cases; and the court system would not be cynically manipulated by celebrity suspects; and their celebrity lawyers.

    Incidentally, the Administration of Justice Act of 2015, ironically signed into law by President Jonathan, has taken care of the basic procedures.  All President Buhari needs to do is ensure the law’s rigorous implementation and capacity building.

    The president should move fast to ensure all of these.  It is not good that the West is leading the charge to recover Nigeria’s stolen money, while Nigeria itself watches from the sidelines.

    The war on corruption must start here now.  We must make the point that stealing public money has grave consequences: with gaol and disgrace as fair comeuppance.

  • UK court seizes Diezani’s £27,000

    UK court seizes Diezani’s £27,000


    The Westminster Magistrates Court in United Kingdom (UK) has seized £27,000 (N815,400) from former Minister for Petroleum under the Goodluck Jonathan's administration, Diezani Alison-Madueke. The court on Monday seized the money in the case versus Alison-Madueke and the cash is detained until April 5 2016. In addition, an application for detention of the cash seized under the Section 295 of the Proceeds of Crime Act was made versus Madueke. However, this does not mean that she has been charged with anything, except that the cash seized until later date.  

     

  • Diezani not in court

    Diezani not in court

    Former Minister of Petroleum under the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, was on Monday expected at Westminster Magistrates Court 10, in the United Kingdom.

    The embattled former minister was not spotted at the court premises with her mother, Beatrice Agama as largely reported on social media.

    However, an application for detention of cash seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act was made versus Diezani who was arrested last Friday in UK by Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) for alleged bribery and corruption-related charges.