Judge to EFCC: Produce Diezani in court

A Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu Thursday granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission more time to produce a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Diezani’s money laundering trial is presently before her court.

Diezani this medium reports was accused among others charges that she unlawfully took into her possession, the sums of sums of $39.7m and N3.32bn when she reasonably ought to have known that the money formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activities.

She was said to have purchased choice landed assets with the money using different fronts as the owners.

The judge had on July 24, 2020, issued criminal summons against the ex-minster to appear in court to face trial.

But up till now, Diezani, who is believed to have left the country for the United Kingdom shortly after leaving office in May 2015, had refused to heed to the summons.

However, the ex-minister’s failure to honour the summons compelled the EFCC to request the court to issue a warrant for her arrest.

The judge nevertheless declined the request, citing the commission’s failure to enforce the criminal summons she had earlier issued against the defendant.

According to her, the criminal summons ought to be sufficient for the commission to process her extradition to Nigeria to face her trial.

At the resumed trial on Thursday, EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Farouk Abdullah, pleaded for more time to enable the anti-graft agency to enforce the summons issued against the former minister.

Abdullah said, “The prosecutions have taken steps to ensure that the orders are complied with. That has not come to fruition yet, but steps have been taken.

“In view of this, may I humbly apply that this matter be adjourned to enable the prosecution comply fully with the order of the court.”

After hearing out the counsels, the Judge has adjourn the matter till March 3 for report of prosecution’s effort to produce the defendant in court and for possible arraignment.

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