Alison-Madueke’s UK Arrest: Three More Ex-Ministers Risk Arrest For Graft, Money Laundering

Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria's then-petroleum minister and alternate president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, is shown speaking to journalists in Vienna, Austria, June 11, 2014. Alison-Madeuke, who served under former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, was reportedly arrested Friday in London. Joe Klamar/Getty Images

•Disquiet in Jonathan’s camp
•How Diezani’s collaborator surrendered to UK agency
•Her business partners go underground

Three more ministers of the Goodluck Jonathan era are facing possible arrest in the aftermath of Friday’s detention of ex- Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, in London for alleged corruption. Although Alison-Madueke and the four other suspects arrested along with her were granted bail same day, tension has already gripped the  Jonathan camp following what sources described as   threat by the once powerful ex-minister   to open up on certain deals which she was directed to execute.

She is said to be good at keeping records, including handwritten notes.

A source in one of the anti-graft agencies said last night that Mrs. Alison-Madueke is  “just  one of the few cases of ex-ministers under investigation.”

The Nation report continues:

“We have at least about three issues at hand but I will not disclose their names,” the source said, adding, “do not forget that these three cases are outside the matter of ex-Minister Stella Oduah which is stuck in court. We have made our position known on this.

“The depletion of the US$1billion in Sovereign Wealth Fund by about US$700million is one of the priority cases with anti-graft agencies. There are also the issues of reckless granting of tax waivers to oil firms.”

The ex-ministers are believed to have been implicated by Permanent Secretaries.

They are likely to be quizzed in connection with alleged reckless granting of waivers, depletion of the Sovereign Wealth Fund by US$700m without the knowledge of the National Economic Council, and “questionable contracts.”

The camp of the former president was in disarray yesterday following the arrest of the ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources, investigation showed.

Sources said London was thought to be a safe haven after leaving office in May. Apart from being a Chevening Scholar, courtesy of the British High Commission, it was learnt that security agencies in the UK did not give her any inkling as she was shuttling between Nigeria and the UK.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Those in Jonathan’s camp felt the ex-president’s visit to President Muhammadu Buhari had created a window for mutual talks and negotiation on alleged graft findings by the new administration.

“They did not know that Buhari really meant business to retrieve looted funds.

“Actually, some ex-ministers, including Diezani, have already placed their counsel in Nigeria on standby in case of any invitation by anti-graft agencies. Their plan was that the matter would be settled in Nigerian court.

“But the arrest of the ex-Minister in London has added a new dimension to the anti-corruption agenda of the Buhari administration.

“Those in Jonathan’s camp were shocked by Diezani’s arrest. They have been desperately trying to get in touch with the ex-Minister since yesterday without success.

“As at today (yesterday), they are worried that Diezani has cut off contact with everyone, creating fears that she might spill the beans.

“The fear in Jonathan’s camp is that Diezani might be given the James Ibori treatment. They are suspecting that she might be tried and convicted in the UK.”

A former presidential aide said: “None of us has been able to reach out to Diezani because all her lines are off. She has also not called to share her travails with anybody.”

How she was nabbed

It was gathered yesterday that the voluntary surrender to the National Crimes Agency (NCA) by a Nigerian oil baron laid the foundation for a comprehensive investigation, and arrest of the former Petroleum minister.

The said oil baron, according to sources, was allegedly fronting for the ex-Minister and may be holding some looted funds in trust for her.

It was learnt that following surveillance and monitoring by security agencies, the oil baron confided in a former Head of State who encouraged him to open up to the NCA on all such slush accounts.

“The oil magnate voluntarily surrendered to NCA because he knew the game was up. He was not having peace where he was staying in the UK. But the former Head of State assisted in cracking this financial crime.”

Mrs. Alison-Madueke and her alleged accomplices are expected to be arraigned in a London court tomorrow.

The suspects were questioned for several hours by security agents in London.

This came four months after Prime Minister David Cameron pledged Britain’s support for president Muhammadu  Buhari’s war against corruption.

Hours after the ex-minister’s arrest, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sealed off her high brow Asokoro,Abuja residence for a search.

Sources said the anti corruption agency had a court warrant to conduct the search.

We Started Investigating Alison-Madueke Since 2013 – UK National Crime Agency

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the UK National Crime Agency [NCA] on Saturday said investigation into allegations of corruption against Nigeria’s former minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, and the four other people arrested Friday had been on since 2013.

In an update on its website, the NCA said, “The investigation commenced in 2013 under the Proceeds of Corruption Unit, and transferred to the NCA earlier this year.”

Until recently, the Proceeds of Corruption Unit was domiciled at the Metropolitan Police Service.

But after the International Corruption Unit was created at the NCA in line with the UK Anti-Corruption Plan, the Proceeds of Corruption Unit at the Metropolitan Police and the Overseas Anti-Corruption Unit of the City of London Police were scrapped.

The ICU then became the UK’s prime agency for the investigation of bribery of foreign public officials by individuals or companies from the UK, and money laundering by corrupt foreign officials and their associates.

In its update Saturday, the NCA also said it had released the former minister on “conditional bail”.

The other four unnamed persons arrested with her were also granted bail.

“All five people arrested were released on conditional police bail later that evening, pending further investigation both in the UK and overseas.”

The conditions of the bail are not immediately clear.

But people familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES that Mrs. Alison-Madueke and her colleagues were barred from travelling out of the UK pending conclusion of investigation and their arraignment in court.

One source said the suspects’ travelling documents were seized, but PREMIUM TIMES has been unable to independently verify that as at the time of this report.

The source also said the suspects were also warned against any attempt to tamper with evidence.

PREMIUM TIMES had on Friday exclusively reported the arrest of the former minister, alongside four others, by the UK agency over offences related to bribery, corruption and money laundering.

The identities of the four other people arrested along with Mrs. Alison-Madueke, could not be immediately ascertained.

Former minister accused of graft

​Mrs. Alison-Madueke, one of the most influential officials of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, was first appointed into the federal cabinet in 2007.

A former board member of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, she was later appointed Minister of Transport by former President Umaru Yar’adua.

In December 2008, she was redeployed to the mines and steel development ministry.

After former Vice President Goodluck Jonathan became acting president, Mrs. Alison-Madueke was appointed Nigeria’s first female petroleum minister in February 2010, a position Mrs. Alison-Madueke held till May 29, 2015 when Mr. Jonathan left office.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s tenure as petroleum minister turned out one of Nigeria’s most controversial, amid unending allegations of massive corruption.

Under her watch, dubious oil marketers stole trillions of Naira of oil subsidy money. She retained her position despite an indictment by the House of Representatives which investigated the fuel subsidy scandal.

Probes by independent audit firms, including the KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers, confirmed that billions of dollars of oil money were missing. The most notable case of missing money involved US$20billion in 2014, as alleged by a former Central Bank governor, Lamido Sanusi.

Several shady deals exposed by PREMIUM TIMES and confirmed by government and independent auditors were linked to the former minister and her cronies.

Long before her stint in the oil and gas sector, Mrs. Alison-Madueke was investigated by the Nigerian Senate on allegation she paid ₦30.9 billion to contractors while she held office as transportation minister.

In 2009, the Senate indicted and recommended her prosecution for allegedly transferring ₦1.2 billion into a private account of a toll company without due process.

Regardless of the indictments, Mrs. Alison-Madueke got elected in November 2014 as the first female president of oil producing countries alliance, OPEC.
The former minister consistently denies wrongdoing. In June, after leaving office, she rejected all allegations of embezzlement saying she never stole from Nigeria.