EFCC goes after Diezani’s allies, NNPC chiefs

There were indications over the weekend that the British authorities are likely to charge former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Alison Diezani-Madueke to court today, or within the week.
But feelers emerging from Nigeria indicate that the Federal Government may not have any case against her and other suspects yet, as investigations by anti-crime agencies into the money laundering case and bribery is yet to be concluded.
However, investigators with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are currently interrogating a former managing director of one of the subsidiaries of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and three former executive directors of the oil corporation under ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The four are said to be under investigation by officials of the Subsidy Unit of the EFCC and their counterparts from the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom in relation to the former minister’s case.
It was gathered that the ex-NNPC MD and the three former EDs who were said to be “very close” to Alison-Madueke while in office had been directed to be reporting to investigators.
A source at the anti-graft agency revealed that “The man has been sacked now. He has been reporting to the EFCC since. Even three former executive directors are also reporting to the EFCC to tell the agency what they know about the NNPC funds.”
It was further gathered that security agents were also probing an estranged ally of the former minister and two others in the UK.
The UK authorities have been keeping the identities of the affected people in line with their practice of keeping the identities of those arrested until they are taken to court.

Read also: Jonathan’s camp in disarray over Diezani

It is however believed that two of the suspects may be Diezani’s allies from the South-West who reportedly wield considerable financial muscle, having benefitted immensely from the subsidy regime of the last administration, which cost the nation a whopping N1.2 trillion yearly from the N425 billion, which the Yar’Adua regime spent.
One of the suspects, aged 21, is said to be related to the former minister but his identity was still being kept under wraps by the NCA as at last night.
An official of the British National Crime Agency, however explained that the identities of all the suspects would only be unveiled at the point of charging them to court.
The official explained that the law establishing the NCA does not allow it to name those being investigated before charging them to court.
This came as chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said he was not shocked about the former minister’s arrest, especially as she had earlier been indicted by the Senate, noting, however, that his committee had no role to play in her prosecution.

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