The Federal High Court inward Lagos on Midweek ordered the temporary forfeiture of a belongings at Banana Island, Lagos, reportedly bought for $37.5m inward 2013 yesteryear a one-time Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The property, designated every bit Building 3, Block B, Bella Vista Plot 1, Zone N, Federal Government Layout, Banana Island Foreshore Estate, has 24 apartments, eighteen flats together with half-dozen penthouses, according to courtroom papers presented on Midweek yesteryear the Economic together with Financial Crimes Commission.
Apart from the property, the courtroom too ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sums of $2,740,197.96 together with N84,537,840.70, said to live on run of the rent collected on the property.
The funds were said to own got been establish inward a Zenith Bank delineate of piece of job concern human relationship issue 1013612486.
Justice Chuka Obiozor ordered the temporary forfeiture on Wednesday, next an ex parte application to that lawsuit brought earlier him yesteryear a counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Anselem Ozioko.
Ozioko had told the gauge that the EFCC “reasonably suspected that the belongings was acquired alongside proceeds of alleged unlawful activities of Diezani.”
The lawyer said investigations yesteryear the EFCC revealed that Diezani made the $37.5m payment for the buy of the belongings inward cash, adding that the coin was moved straightaway from her delineate of piece of job solid inward Abuja together with paid into the seller’s First Bank delineate of piece of job concern human relationship inward Abuja.
“Nothing could live on to a greater extent than suspicious than somebody keeping such huge amounts inward her apartment. Why was she doing that? To avoid attention.
“We are convinced beyond reasonable doubts because, every bit of the fourth dimension this happened, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke was however inward populace service every bit the Minister of Petroleum Resources,” Ozioko told the court.
The ex parte application taken earlier the gauge was filed pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud together with Other Related Offences Act, No. 14, 2006 together with Section 44(2)(k) of the Constitution.
Listed every bit respondents inward the application were Diezani; a legal practitioner, Afamefuna Nwokedi; together with a company, Rusimpex Limited.
After listening to the EFCC lawyer on Wednesday, Justice Obiozor made an guild temporarily seizing the belongings together with the funds.
He directed that the guild should live on published inward a national newspaper.
He adjourned the example till August 7, 2017 for anyone interested inward the belongings together with funds to look earlier him.
PUNCH