The Federal High Court inwards Lagos on Tuesday ordered the temporary forfeiture of 58 houses linked to a onetime Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The houses, located inwards Abuja, Lagos together with Port Harcourt, were said to accept been acquired yesteryear the ex-minister betwixt 2011 together with 2013 using front end companies.
The Economic together with Financial Crimes Commission claimed that Diezani paid $21,982,224 for the properties, adding that it believed that the funds were proceeds of crime.
The anti-graft means listed the properties to include 29 terraced houses comprising 8 four-bedroomed penthouse apartments, half dozen three-bedroomed apartments, ii three-bedroomed maisonettes, ii twin-bedroomed apartments together with ane four-bedroomed apartment.
The houses, located at No. 7, Thurnbull Street together with 5, Raymond Street, Yaba, were allegedly bought yesteryear Diezani for the U.S.A. dollar equivalent of N937m through Chapel Properties Ltd.
Other seized houses are xvi four-bedroomed terraced houses inwards Heritage Court Estate, Plot 2C, Omerelu Street, Diobu, Government Residential Area (GRA) Phase 1 Extension, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, purchased for N928m through Blue Nile Estate Ltd.
The properties besides include thirteen three-bedroomed terraced houses amongst one-room maid’s quarters ensuite for N650m through Azinga Meadows Ltd.
In an ex parte application brought earlier Justice Abdulaziz Anka on Tuesday yesteryear its counsel, Mr. Anselem Ozioko, the EFCC urged the gauge to gild the temporary forfeiture of the properties to the Federal Government.
The gauge granted the temporary forfeiture gild together with directed that a theatre should move appointed to cause out the properties.
He besides ordered the EFCC to position out the interim forfeiture gild inwards a national paper together with adjourned till September 8, 2017 for whatsoever political party interested inwards the properties to seem earlier the courtroom to nation why the temporary forfeiture gild should non move made permanent.
Listed every bit starting fourth dimension to 6th respondents inwards the suit are Diezani, Donald Amamgbo, together with 4 firms – Chapel Properties Limited; Blue Nile Estate Limited; Azinga Meadows Limited; together with Vistapoint Property Development Limited.
Ozioko told the courtroom that Diezani used the companies every bit fronts for the acquisition of the properties, adding that the anti-graft means had discovered xiv other firms incorporated for the ex-minister for the role of holding the titles to those properties.
Diezani, he added, purchased the properties from the proceeds of suspected unlawful activeness during her tenure every bit minister.
In an affidavit filed inwards back upwardly of the ex parte application, an EFCC investigator, Mr. Sombori Mayana, said the EFCC got winds of the properties inwards 2016 next the execution of a search warrant on the role together with premises of Amamgbo, said to move Diezani’s acquaintance.
The investigator averred, “Among the documents recovered from the role of Mr. Donald Chidi Amamgbo was an undated written report that contained a listing of xviii companies together with several properties located inwards the United Kingdom, Nigeria together with the U.S.A. of America.
“During the class of his interview, Mr. Donald Amamgbo told us that he registered the xviii companies to aid Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke inwards holding titles of the properties.”
Mayana averred that a primary managing director together with Head, Business Development of FBN Mortgages Ltd., Mrs. Bolanle Onotu, confirmed that the properties were sold yesteryear her arrangement to Diezani’s alleged 4 proxy firms for N937m, N928m together with N650m together with received payment through First Bank concern human relationship numbers 2004483850 together with 2008133531 betwixt September 23, 2011 together with June 16, 2015.
“First Bank of Nigeria Plc stated that the source of the coin was Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke together with that the banking company picked upwardly United States’ dollars from her theatre at 10, Frederick Chiluba Close off Jose Marti Street, Asokoro, Abuja,” Mayana added.
He said a full of $16,041,906 was picked upwardly yesteryear the banking company at Diezani’s theatre betwixt September 29, 2011 together with Apr 4, 2013 together with converted to naira.
According to Mayana, simply about other firm, Adebern Parks Nigeria Ltd. received N802,500,000 inwards its Zenith Bank concern human relationship from an Ecobank concern human relationship for the buy of simply about of the properties.
One Mr. Adeyemi Edun “received the amount of N840,000,000 from Skye Bank Plc which on his instructions transferred the amount of N805,000,000 to his Eco Bank concern human relationship from where he paid Adebern Parks for the property.”
PUNCH