The Centre for Anti-Corruption
and Open Leadership (CACOL) has lauded efforts of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) in extraditing the former minister of Petroleum
Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to face corruption charges leveled
against her.
Mr. Ikenna Aghagbobi, Media and
Publications Officer of the Centre on behalf of the Executive Chairman, Mr.
Debo Adeniran, said the saga has lingered for too long even to the point where
she fled the country for the UK while investigations into the allegations
against her were ongoing.
It read: “CACOL first blew the
lid on her various illicit and monumental fraudulent dealings in oil
transactions, entered into on behalf of the federal government; including diversion
of funds, unscrupulous payment of petroleum subsidies, etc., which ran into
billions of American Dollars.
“She will not be the first person
to try to escape from justice, Olisa Metuh and others in the same category have
at one time or the other tried to stall and frustrate the judicial system but,
it is unfortunate for her this time because the EFCC are fully at work”.
Adeniran also said: “I do not
think our anti-graft agencies have made enough examples of these corrupt
indices in our society by meting-out maximum sanctions in a bid to deter
intending defaulters”.
The CACOL boss concluded that:
“The EFCC should be ready to make the former minister honour the invitation to
return to the country; to be prosecuted. It will serve as a way of warning and
discouraging others from abusing their offices and running to other countries
to plead shelter over their corrupt acts or try other means to frustrate their
trials.
“Though the renewed action is
coming a bit late, considering that we first alerted the government’s
Anti-Corruption agency to those infractions now known as ‘Diezianigate’ since
2013, but as they say, ‘it is better late than never’.
“We therefore, welcome the
Commission’s filing of an application for warrant of arrest (being condition
precedent for Dieziani’s extradition protocol to bring her back home to face
trial) circa the court’s stipulated 72 hours.
“We also call on the EFCC to be
diligent in the proceedings and prosecution of Diezani, especially with the
benefits of the time-lag they had to garner evidences and interrogate
witnesses, and ensure that the trial is as transparent as possible to eradicate
incidences of foul play.”
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