* Pix source : Nairaland Forum
As the trial of former People’s Democratic Party (PDP), governorship candidate in Kwara State, during the 2015 general election ,Mr. Mohammed Dele Belgore and former Minister for National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman continued, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Usman Zakari today, narrated before a Federal High Court, Lagos, how former Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison- Madueke, laundered $115 million, through three oil companies and two individuals.
Zakari, is the EFCC second prosecution witness in the trial of former People’s Democratic Party (PDP), governorship candidate in Kwara State, Mr. Mohammed Dele Belgore and former Minister for National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, currently standing trial for alleged N450 million fraud.
Belgore and Sulaiman are being re-arraigned before Justice Rilwan Aikawa led-court on an amended five counts charge wherein the name of the former Petroleum Minister was clearly mentioned.
The amended charge stated that on or about March 27, 2015, Alison-Madueke conspiring with Belgore and Sulaiman to directly take possession of the sum of N450 million, which they reasonably ought to have known to forms part of proceeds of unlawful act.
The two defendants were equally said to have taken the said funds in cash, which exceeded the amount authorised by law, without going through any financial institution.
They were also accused of paying the sum of N50 million to one Sheriff Shagaya, without going through financial institutions.
The alleged offence according to the EFCC are contrary to sections 18 (a)15 (2) (d), 1 (a), 16 (d) and punishable under sections 15 (3) and 4, 16 (2) (b), and 16 (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012.
At the resumed trial of the defendants, the witness while being led-in-evidence by the prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, said the former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke, used three oil companies namely: Auctus Integrated Investment Limited, Northernbelt Oil and Gas Limited, and Midwestern Oil and Gas Limited and two individuals, Leon Laitan Adesanya and an Aides to the former Minister, to launder $115 million.
Zakari said that by the authority of the former Petroleum Minister, the three companies laundered $17.884 million, $16 million, $9.5 million, while Adesanya an Aide to the former Minister laundered $1.150 million and $25.776 million respectively.
The EFCC witness told the court that the said monies were taken to the bank in suit cases.
The witness also informed the court how the former Minister had a meeting with the Managing Director of a new generation Bank on how the money should be changed to Naira, and distributed to the 36 states of the country and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during 2015 General election.
The witness also identified some of the documents which includes: email correspondence between the former Petroleum Minister and the Bank’s managing director, the documents signed by the two defendants while receiving the sum of N450 million.
However the matter was brought to a halt at the instance of the prosecutor, Mr. Oyedepo, who urged the court for adjournment, on the ground that he needed to meet a witness who will be testify in another Criminal matter at a Lagos High Court, on Thursday.
Consequently, the presiding judge, Justice Aikawa adjourned the matter till June 8, for continuation of trial of the defendants.
