The United Kingdom has revealed full details why embattled former Petroleum Minister Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke was arrested in Britain.
Diezani Alison-Madueke
It was gathered on Sunday, October 4, that President Muhammadu Buhari has been intimated on the arrest of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke in Britain.
The Presidency also confirmed last night that the Department of State Service (DSS) was collaborating with the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Britain to get to the root of the bribery and money laundering allegations against the former Minister and four others, who are yet to be named, The Nation reports.
The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, last night, said: “Nigeria is aware of the arrest of the ex- Minister; the government has been informed.
“The arms of government dealing with investigation, particularly the Department of State Service (DSS), are actively collaborating with the relevant agencies in the UK.”
Shehu said: “Nobody wants to say anything as a mark of respect for the agencies carrying out the investigation. We also want to show that we are serious about this anti-corruption war.”
When pressed to explain if Nigeria will ask for the ex-minister’s extradition, Shehu said: “I won’t give details other than telling you that the DSS is collaborating with the relevant agencies on this case.
“We want to do things differently from the past.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) plans to send a team to London to be part of the former minister’s trial.
Mrs Alison-Madueke, who is on bail, is expected to be charged to court in London for alleged money laundering and other related offences by the NCA.
Most cabinet colleagues of the ex-minister have been indifferent to her travails because they “saw it coming”.
Although some of the former ministers met with ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja at the weekend to review the situation, they had “little concern” for her.
The International Corruption Unit (ICU) of NCA on Friday arrested Alison-Madueke and four others.
The EFCC collaborated with the NCA in investigating Mrs Alison-Madueke in the last two years.
It was gathered that the EFCC made vital documents, including details of bank transactions of some of her business associates, available to the NCA.
The search on her residence on Friday was said to be the part of the concluding stage of the initial investigation.
A top source in EFCC said: “The arrest and the impending arraignment of Mrs Alison-Madueke have been a joint collaboration between the EFCC and the NCA.
“There is no way we will not be part of the trial. Definitely, we are sending a team to the UK but I cannot give you the details.
“We have documents to give to NCA; we have a lot to clarify in confidence. We are also ready to testify.”
NCA said: “The International Corruption Unit (ICU) investigates: bribery of foreign public officials by individuals or companies from the UK; and money laundering by corrupt foreign officials and their associates."
The ICU will also trace and recover the proceeds of international corruption; support foreign law enforcement agencies with international anti-corruption investigations; engage with government and business to reduce the UK’s exposure to the proceeds of corruption; and
work with business to support increased compliance with the Bribery Act 2010.
The ICU draws on the specialist support available to it within the NCA, and works closely with other UK law enforcement agencies and overseas partners.