Why EFCC is after Diezani’s $40m jewellery
In an appeal to the Federal High Court in Lagos, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said on Monday, that the former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, acquisition of $40m worth of jewellery is beyond her known and provable lawful income.
EFCC’s investigator, Rufai Zaki, who laid this in an affidavit, insisted that the items were beyond Diezani’s “known and provable lawful income.’’
The investigator said the EFCC was in possession of the details of the UBA account through which Diezani received her salary as a minister.
According to zaki, “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.”
The EFCC also appealed to the court to order the permanent forfeiture of the 2,149 pieces of jewellery and a customised gold iPhone, valued at $40m, recovered from Diezani’s Abuja residence at No. 10 Fredrick Chiluba Close, Asokoro, Abuja.
On her appointment as a minister in April 12, 2010, Zaki said the findings by the EFCC showed that she started acquiring the jewellery in 2012 from one Bukola Oyewumi of Trinket Box Bespoke Jewellery at Ikeja City Mall, Alausa.
Oyewumi, which was later invited by the EFCC made her statement, saying she started selling jewellery to Diezani in 2012. She also made available to the EFCC the invoices issued in respect of the jewellery in which ‘Aunty D’ was written as the buyer.
Zaki, disclosed that Diezani also bought jewellery from another seller named, Minal Ratanani of Bella Vista Apartment, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos. While interrogating the seller, Ratanani admitted that Diezani bought jewellery from her over a period and made a cash payment worth $865,300.00
He said the EFCC also discovered that apart from Oyewumi, Diezani also bought jewellery from one Minal Ratanani of Bella Vista Apartment, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, said it was in the best interest of justice for the court to order the permanent forfeiture of the jewellery and the gold iPhone 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.”
But Diezani, through her counsel, Nnamdi Awa-Kalu, insisted that the seizure of the items amounted to a violation of Diezani’s constitutional right to own properties.
At the end of Monday’s hearing, Justice Nicholas Oweibo adjourned till September 11, 2019 for ruling.
