The former
Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Deziani
Alison-Madueke, recently slammed the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) for alleging that she
stole $153 million from the till of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC.
The EFCC had
obtained temporary order forfeiting the $153 million allegedly stashed away by
the former minister in various accounts, to the federal government.
But the
former minister, in a rebuttal made available to Sunday Vanguard, denied the
ownership of the said money and challenged the EFCC to publish the details of
the accounts, their owners and in which NNPC’s accounts the money was taken and
when.
She said she
was saddened by what she called “media trial” by the EFCC and wondered what the
commission was out to achieve by making “false and unsubstantiated claims”
against her.
She also
denied owning a multi-billion Naira estate in Yenagoa, benefiting from the $1.3
billion Malabu Oil scandal.
EFCC
declined to respond to the allegations made by Mrs. Madueke, saying it would be
contemptible to comment on a matter already being heard by a court of competent
jurisdiction.
“We hope to
meet her in court if she is ready and can therefore not join issues with her at
this point”, a top official of the commission told Sunday Vanguard.
“If the
former minister has no case to answer, she should come forward and meet us in
court instead of raising false alarm to whip up sentiment and run away from the
issues.”
Source:
Financial Watch
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