Court Orders Diezani To Remain In UK

Following the arrest and court appearance of Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former minister of petroleum resources has reportedly been ordered by a UK court to remain in Britain until April next year.

Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former oil minister, has been ordered by a UK court not to leave Britain until investigations are ended come April next year.

The order states that Diezani will not be able to leave until the investigations into her alleged fraud are concluded next year, and will only be able to travel after an application has been brought before the court and approved.

READ ALSO: Corruption Charges: Alison-Madueke Appears In Court (UPDATE)

Recalled that on Monday, October 5, the ex-minister was arraigned in London at Westminster Magistrate’s Court on Marylebone Road.

Reports from the proceeding reveal that a seizure of £27,000 (over 9 million Naira) was approved, supposedly following an application by UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).

An application filed under the Proceeds of Crime Act in the UK which sets out the legislative scheme for the recovery of criminal assets with criminal confiscation being the most commonly used power.

The court also ruled that the cash can be held for six months – till April next year when investigations would have been over.

There were reports that the NCA’s application for seizure had nothing to do with the former oil minister’s arrest. In that report, the NCA stated that ‘smaller sums’ were also seized from two other individuals, aside from the £27,000 recovered from the former minister.

However, the agency declined revealing the names of the others from whom the sums were collected.

Diezani who had previously denied any wrongdoing when it was alleged that $20b of oil money had gone missing under her watch in office between 2010 and 2015, was arrested last week along with four others, but was granted bail by the UK authorities after confiscating her passport.

Meanwhile, in furtherance of the ongoing investigation and prosecution of Diezani, the NCA has sought the assistance of Switzerland’s Attorney General to detain Kola Aluko, an alleged accomplice of the former minister.

Aluko is said to be a flamboyant man who for a while has been on a spending spree- purchasing villas, expensive cars, a yacht and partying with movie and entertainment stars in the UK, Europe and the US.

The magnate who dated former supermodel Naomi Campbell, allegedly fronts for the former minister’s supposed shady billion dollar schemes within the oil sector.

A report by Sahara Reporters on Wednesday, October 7, claims that the alleged money launderer for the former minister, has gone into hiding following her arrest on Friday, October 2.

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