Return My Seized Assets - Diezani To EFCC
Category: Nigeria News
A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke,
has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to vacate an order granted to the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for final forfeiture of her seized
assets.
Alison-Madueke, in an originating motion obtained by
journalists on Monday, sought an order extending the time within which to seek
leave to apply to the court for an order to set aside the public notice issued
by the EFCC to conduct a public sale on her property.
The EFCC had
planned to conduct a public sale of all assets seized from Alison-Madueke
beginning January 9, as contained in its public notice, following various
court judgments/orders issued in favor of the commission as final forfeiture
orders against the property and personal effects of the former minister.
The ex-minister, in the motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2023, dated
and filed on January 6, by her lawyer, Dr Mike Ozekhome (SAN), before Justice
Inyang Ekwo, sought five orders from the court.
While
Alison-Madueke is the applicant, the EFCC is the sole respondent in the suit.
The former minister, who argued that the various orders were made
without jurisdiction, said these “ought to be set aside ex debito justitiae.”
She said she was not given a fair hearing in all the proceedings
leading to the orders.
“The various court orders issued in favour
of the respondent and upon which the respondent issued the public notice to
conduct a public sale of items contained in the public notice most of which
court the interest of the applicant were issued in breach of the applicant’s
right to fair hearing as guaranteed by Section 36 (1) of the 1999
Constitution, as altered, and other similar constitutional provisions,”
Ozekhome said.
According to him, Alison-Madueke was not served
with the charge sheet and proof of evidence in any of the charges, or with any
other summons about the criminal charges pending against her in court.
He also argued that the courts were misled into making several of
the final forfeiture orders against her assets through the suppression or
non-disclosure of material facts.
But the EFCC, in a
counter-affidavit deposed to by Rufai Zaki, asked the court to dismiss
Alison-Madueke’s application.
Zaki, who was a member of the team
that investigated a case of criminal conspiracy, official corruption, and
money laundering against the ex-minister and some other persons involved in
the case, said the investigation had clearly shown that she was involved in
some acts of criminality.
“We hereby rely on the charge
FHC/ABJ/CR/208/2018 dated November 14, 2018, filed before this court and also
attach as Exhibit C in the applicant’s affidavit,” he said.
The
EFCC operative, who said he had seen the ex-minister’s motion, said most of
the depositions were untrue.
According to him, contrary to her
deposition in the affidavit in support, most of the cases that led to the
final forfeiture of the contested property were “actions in rem,” which were
heard at various times and determined by the court.
Zaki argued
that one Nnamdi Kalu represented the ex-minister in one of the forfeiture
applications.
The officer said that, contrary to her opinion, the
final forfeiture of the assets that were the subject of the present
application had been ordered by the court since 2017 and that this had not
been set aside or overturned on appeal.
Zaki said the properties
have been disposed of through the due process of law.
Upon
mentioning the matter on Monday, Alison-Madueke’s counsel, Oluchi Uche, told
Justice Ekwo that they had just been served by the EFFC on Friday and they
would need time to respond to the counter affidavit.
Farouk
Abdullah, who appeared with the anti-graft agency, did not oppose, and the
judge adjourned the matter until May 8 for a hearing.
She don go batch comfirm soap come back
ReplyDeleteCome to Nigeria now
ReplyDeleteThis one still dey talk
ReplyDeleteOpor
ReplyDeleteWho cares
ReplyDeleteThief na thief
Irrespective of your status
Come home and take it pls
ReplyDelete