According to him, several transactions took place before and even after the period under review and therefore his committee should not be held responsible for not bring out most of these issues.
Browsing: Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke
“They signed for the money and took it to the residence of the first defendant (Akinjide). The defendants made cash payment of N650million without going through any financial institution, an amount which was more than the amount authorised by law to be paid in cash,” Zakari said.
The EFCC lawyer urged the court to order a final forfeiture of the properties listed in the schedule of application filed before the court.
“Any and all amounts approved and directed by Mr. President to be paid, were executed exclusively by NNPC, directly from NNPC’s foreign and or, Central Bank of Nigeria accounts, to the stated recipients.”
The fund was allegedly obtained with approval from ex-President Goodluck Jonathan without appropriation from the National Assembly or approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The judge’s decision came months after multi-billion naira properties and funds running into millions of dollars allegedly linked to the former minister were forfeited to the Nigerian government.
The former petroleum resources minister had on Oct. 6, through her lawyer, Mr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, urged the court to compel the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to extradite her to Nigeria from the United Kingdom to defend the charges against her.
The EFCC said Diezani’s bid to now return to Nigeria was nothing but a ploy to escape justice having realised that her trial might soon begin in the UK.
“As things are now, there is no need for that since the UK government is already investigating her and government will not take any decision that will jeopardise what the UK government is doing,” he said.
EFCC stated that its efforts to interrogate her over the allegations had been abortive as her lawyer, John Binns of BCL Solicitors, refused to allow the commission’s team of investigators, led by Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, to meet with her in the UK earlier in March this year.
