Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke,
arrested and released in the United Kingdom, on
Friday, on money laundering allegations, may be
charged to court, this week.
And feelers showed that she will not be the only
person in the dock.
Sunday Vanguard learnt that besides the four other
persons arrested with the former minister, more
suspects may also be arraigned.
Meanwhile, Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) detectives, who raided the
Abuja home of Allison-Madueke, just at about the
time of her arrest in the UK, on Friday, reportedly
recovered cash running into millions of Naira.
The trial is expected to be conducted in London and
is likely to draw thousands of Nigerians resident in
the United Kingdom (UK) but no date was specified,
last night, when Sunday Vanguard made contacts
with the National Crime Agency (NCA), which
arrested and released Diezani and the four others
on Friday.
An official of the NCA gave indication of the trial in a
telephone chat but pointed out that the identities of
all the suspects would only be unveiled at the point
of charging them to court.
The official explained that the law establishing the
NCA does not allow it to name those being
investigated before charging them to court.
The official said: "Indeed we cannot name the five
persons who were arrested and granted police
conditional bail until we are ready to charge them to
court.
"The law does not permit us to do so and we will
release appropriate information to the media as the
case progresses".
But it was learnt from sources close to the British
government that the NCA might have concluded
arrangements to arraign Diezani and other
suspects believed to be mostly Nigerian oil
business men, suspected to have aided and abetted
money laundering while the former minister was in
office.
One of the sources said the British Government
started investigating Diezani as early as 2013
following sustained allegations of financial
wrongdoings at home and abroad, leveled against
her and some officials of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
In the meantime, a team of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives,
which raided the Abuja home of the former minister
in Asokoro, Abuja, was said to have recovered cash
running into millions of Naira from the place.
But a source close to the operation said only N1.2
million was recovered.
The security agents, who stormed the home, on
Frederick Chiluba Street, Asokoro, in six vehicles,
reportedly gained access to the expansive mansion
with the aid of some former security aides of the
embattled former minister.
The team allegedly gained access to the well
fortified house using one of the windows.
Reports said Diezani had not been sighted near the
palatial home since leaving office in May but had
been staying in the United Kingdom, where she
reportedly sought medical attention over an
undisclosed ailment.
In updated information on its website, yesterday, the
NCA disclosed that investigation of the suspects
was initiated in 2013 by the Proceeds of Corruption
Unit, which transferred the matter to it early this
year.
The agency said that the suspects were merely
granted what it called "conditional police bail"
pending further investigation to be conducted in the
UK and overseas.
It was learnt that the EFCC, which has a working
pact with UK anti-corruption agencies, swopped on
Diezani's home and recovered vital documents,
which it hopes to use to prosecute her when the
trial begins in London.
According to the NCA's website, the International
Corruption Unit (ICU) investigates bribery of foreign
public officials by individuals or companies from the
UK and money laundering by suspected corrupt
foreign officials and their associates.
The ICU also traces and recovers the proceeds of
international corruption, support foreign law
enforcement agencies with international anti-
corruption investigations; engages with government
and business to reduce the UK's exposure to the
proceeds of corruption.
It works to support increased compliance with the
Bribery Act 2010 and draws on the specialist
support available to it within the NCA, while also
working closely with other UK law enforcement
agencies and overseas partners.
