Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has formally asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to declare final forfeiture of $40 million jewelry recovered from the home of ex-petroleum minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The court on Monday fixed September 10 to rule on the final forfeiture to the Federal Government.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo fixed the date after listening to the EFCC, which made the case for the permanent forfeiture.
An investigator with the Commission, Rufai Zaki, in an affidavit put before the court, insisted that the jewelries were beyond the former minister’s “known and provable lawful income”.
The investigator further said that the findings by the EFCC showed that she started acquiring the jewelry in 2012, two years after she was appointed the minister.
The investigator also said that the EFCC was in possession of the details of the bank account through which Mrs. Alison-Madueke, received her salary as a minister.
“The respondent did not utilise her salary or any part of her legitimate income to acquire the assets sought to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria,” Zaki said.
He said a “damning intelligence report” received by the Commission led to the search of former minister’s house at No. 10 Fredrick Chiluba Close, Asokoro, Abuja.
The EFCC then invited one Bukola Oyewumi of Trinket Box Bespoke Jewelry, who stated that she started selling jewelries to Mrs. Allison-Madueke in 2012.
The Commission also obtained the invoices issued in respect of the jewelries she bought.
Apart from this, the EFCC also found that Mrs. Alison-Madueke also bought jewelry from one Minal Ratanani of Bella Vista Apartment, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos.
According to the commission, Ratanani admitted during questioning, that Diezani bought jewelry worth $865,300.00 from her over a period and she paid cash,”
The EFCC Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, told Justice Oweibo that it was in the best interest of justice for the court to order the permanent forfeiture of the jewelry to the Federal Government.
He said the court was empowered to make such forfeiture order under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offence Act 2006, because “the respondent’s known and provable lawful income is far less than the properties sought to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria”.
The former minister through her counsel, Nnamdi Awa-Kalu, maintained that the seizure of the items from her home was unlawful and constituted a violation of her right to own properties.
MM/GIK/APA