A Federal High Court sitting in
Lagos on Wednesday ordered the interim forfeiture of the sum of N7,646,700,000
allegedly kept in Sterling Bank Plc by former Petroleum Resources Minister,
Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, told Justice Chuka Obiozor-led court via an ex parte
application that the N7.6bn was part of the sum of $153,310,000 which Diezani
allegedly siphoned from the coffers of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation sometime in 2014.
The Commission also alleged that
the former Petroleum Minister stashed the money in three Nigerian banks.
However, the Federal Government
had since February 2016, through an order granted by another judge, Justice
Muslim Hassan also of the Federal High Court, taken possession of part of the
money from the other banks.
The anti-graft agency told the
court that the Federal Government had recovered N23.4bn, $5m and another
N9.08bn out of the $153.3m.
It, therefore, prayed the court
to order Sterling Bank to deliver up to the Federal Government the N7.6bn still
in its custody.
Justice Obiozor granted the order
and directed the commission to cause it to be published.
The judge then adjourned till
August 28, 2017 for Sterling Bank and any other interested party to appear
before the court to know why the funds should not be permanently forfeited to
the Federal Government.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete