Money laundering: EFCC counsel’s absence stalls Alison-Madueke’s trial

The absence of counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, in court on Wednesday stalled the money laundering trial.

The Federal High Court, Abuja had fixed today, November 3, for the EFCC to give a report on its effort at extraditing Alison-Madueke to the country to stand her trial, and for possible mention of the case.

Though Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu was the presiding judge in the matter, the case was reassigned to Justice Bolaji Olajuwon, following the transfer of Ojukwu to the Calabar division of the court.

Although the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/208/2018, was on number 9 on the Wednesday’s cause list, neither the EFCC lawyer nor Alison-Madueke was in court.

When the matter was called, the court registrar said: “No counsel in court my lord.”

This was the first time the case came up before Olajuwon.

Justice Olajuwon then adjourned the matter until January 24, 2022, for report of mention.

The trial of the ex-minister before the former judge was, on May17, hindered due to the strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

The matter was fixed for the date, following the absence of the EFCC’s lawyer, Farouk Abdullah, in court on March 3.

On March 3, the case, which was earlier fixed for report or arraignment of the ex-minister, could not proceed as neither Abdullah nor Diezani was in court.

The court had, on December 3, 2020, adjourned the matter until March 3 following the inability of the anti-graft agency to fully comply with its orders in the trial of Diezani.

Ojukwu fixed the date after counsel to the EFCC, Abdullah, prayed the court for more time to enable the anti-graft agency ensure full compliance with the court orders.

EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa recently disclosed that the anti-corruption commission recovered $153 million from Alison-Madueke.

Bawa said the agency also recovered the final forfeiture of over 80 property in Nigeria valued at about $80 million from the former minister, who has been living in the UK since leaving office some years ago.

The EFCC boss said he would want the former minister to face trial in Nigeria.