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| Diezani Alison-Madueke. |
The property, according to report, designated as Building 3,
Block B, Bella Vista Plot 1, Zone N, Federal Government Layout,
Banana Island Foreshore Estate, has 24 apartments, 18 flats and six
penthouses, according to court papers presented on Wednesday by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Apart from the property, the court also
ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sums of $2,740,197.96 and
N84,537,840.70, said to be part of the rent collected on the
property.
The funds were said to have been found
in a Zenith Bank account number 1013612486.
Justice Chuka Obiozor ordered the
temporary forfeiture on Wednesday, following an ex parte application
to that effect brought before him by a counsel for the EFCC, Mr.
Anselem Ozioko.
Ozioko had told the judge that the EFCC
“reasonably suspected that the property was acquired with proceeds
of alleged unlawful activities of Diezani.”
The lawyer said investigations by the
EFCC revealed that Diezani made the $37.5m payment for the purchase
of the property in cash, adding that the money was moved straight
from her house in Abuja and paid into the seller’s First Bank
account in Abuja.
“Nothing could be more suspicious
than someone keeping such huge amounts in her apartment. Why was she
doing that? To avoid attention.
“We are convinced beyond reasonable
doubts because, as of the time this happened, Mrs. Diezani
Alison-Madueke was still in public service as the Minister of
Petroleum Resources,” Ozioko told the court. The ex parte application taken before
the judge was filed pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud
and Other Related Offences Act, No. 14, 2006 and Section 44(2)(k) of
the Constitution.
Listed as respondents in the
application were Diezani; a legal practitioner, Afamefuna Nwokedi;
and a company, Rusimpex Limited.
After listening to the EFCC lawyer on
Wednesday, Justice Obiozor made an order temporarily seizing the
property and the funds. He directed that the order should be
published in a national newspaper.
He adjourned the case till August 7,
2017 for anyone interested in the property and funds to appear before
him.
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