How Diezani, others diverted NNPC’s $1.8bn –FG
Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke
Oladimeji Ramon
Nigerian businessmen, Kola Aluko and
Jide Omokore, have urged the Federal High Court in Lagos to stay further
proceedings in a suit filed against them by the Federal Government to
recover an alleged debt of $1.8bn.
The court, presided over by Justice
Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, had last year made a mareva injunction freezing the
defendants’ assets both at home and abroad pending the determination of
the suit.
The Federal Government sued Aluko and
Omokore, who are allies of a former Minister Petroleum Resources, Mrs.
Diezani Alison-Madueke, alongside their companies, Atlantic Energy
Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited and Atlantic Energy Brass Development
Limited.
In an affidavit attached to the suit
filed through its lawyer, Mr. Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN), the Federal
Government alleged that the defendants unlawfully diverted a profit of
about $1.8bn due to it on crude oil which they lifted and sold.
A lawyer from the Federal Ministry of
Justice, Isaac Oginni, who deposed to the affidavit, said rather than
pay the Federal Government, the defendants converted the $1.8bn to their
own and used it to, among others, buy several vehicles valued at over
N800m, which they allegedly donated to the Peoples Democratic Party.
According to Oginni, the defendants also
bought another set of vehicles worth over N130m and gave them out to
Diezani and some other management staff members of the Nigerian
Petroleum Development Company.
He added that Aluko, among others, also
used part of the allegedly diverted funds to purchase a 26-flat property
at 46, Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos for which he made part payments of
$18,548,619.99 and N1,070,000,000 to FBN Mortgages Limited.
Efforts by the defendants to vacate the
mareva injunction freezing their bank accounts and assets both locally
and internationally failed late last year as Justice Oguntoyinbo
dismissed their application, seeking to vacate the injunction.
Comments