FG Intensifies Campaign To Reclaim Looted Funds Amid EFCC’s Involvement In Diezani’s UK Trial

FG Intensifies Campaign To Reclaim Looted Funds Amid EFCC’s Involvement In Diezani’s UK Trial....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is taking a significant stride in its pursuit of justice regarding former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, by seeking to join her ongoing trial in the United Kingdom as an interested party. This initiative aims to secure Nigeria’s access to assets potentially seized from the ex-minister, who faces trial for alleged bribery and corruption.

As reported by Naija News, the EFCC is set to dispatch a team to London to initiate the process of filing papers to become a party to the case. The commission intends to furnish the UK court with its findings and the forfeiture order issued by a high court in Abuja concerning Diezani’s $2.5 million homes and cars.

Diezani stands accused in the Southwark Crown Court in the UK of allegedly receiving £100,000 in cash, enjoying chauffeur-driven cars, private jet flights, lavish holidays for her family, and the use of multiple London properties. The National Crime Agency (NCA) alleges that she may have “benefitted from at least £100,000 in cash” and other perks.

A source disclosed to The Nation that the EFCC’s application to participate in the trial is pivotal for Nigeria’s efforts to recover dubious assets linked to Diezani. Without the EFCC’s involvement, retrieving these assets could prove challenging.

The EFCC possesses substantial evidence against Diezani, including a court order concerning her $2.5 million homes and cars. Additionally, in a separate case, a former EFCC chairman confirmed the recovery of $153 million and the final forfeiture of over 80 properties in Nigeria valued at approximately $80 million.

Diezani faces allegations by the EFCC of embezzling around $2.5 billion from Nigeria’s coffers during her tenure as minister. In March 2023, the NCA provided evidence to the US Department of Justice, leading to the recovery of assets worth $53.1 million linked to Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption.

The collaboration between the EFCC and the NCA in the UK is viewed as a significant step in combating corruption and reclaiming looted assets. Andy Kelly, Head of the NCA’s international corruption unit (ICU), emphasized the importance of such collaboration in addressing bribery and its detrimental impact.

Diezani was arrested in London in 2015 following her resignation as minister and was subsequently charged in August with six bribery offenses. She has spent over eight years on police bail, residing in St John’s Wood, an affluent area of London.

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