Diezani moved $115.01m, gave Belgore, Sulaiman N450m, Witness alleges Author: Akinyemi Akinrujom

Timothy Olaobaju, a prosecution witness and an official of Fidelity Bank Plc on Monday, March 13, told a federal high court in Lagos how former petroleum resources minister Alison Diezani-Madueke stashed huge amount of dollars in the bank.

Former petroleum is alleged to have shared huge amount of money to individuals across 36 states of the federation

The Punch reports that Olaoboju said the ex-minister issued a directive that the money be changed into local currency later on and she distributed the funds to some individuals across all the states of the federation.

According to him, some of the beneficiaries of the largesse were Dele Belgore, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, a former minister of national planning, who both received N450m.

Olaobaju made the revelations before Justice Rilwan Aikawa while being question by EFCC prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo in the trial of Belgore and Sulaiman, who are being tried for alleged money laundering involving N450m.

The charges were brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Olaoboju narrated: “Sometime in April 2014, our MD, Mr Nnamdi Okonkwo, gave a directive that certain companies and individuals would pay into an account with our bank some amounts of money. The purpose of the payment was not disclosed.

“Over the period, thereafter, some amounts were paid into the account. The funds were deposited in dollar. The total sum was $115,010,000.

“On the 27th of March, 2015, there was an instruction from the former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, through our MD, that the fund in the account should be converted to naira and paid to certain individuals of which the list of beneficiaries was sent to our MD and the amount to be paid to them in naira.

“The funds were paid according to Alison-Madueke’s instructions.

“On the list sent to our branch, the names of the defendants (Belgore and Sulaiman) were on that list because the money was paid in about 36 states of the federation.

“The defendants are not customers of our bank.

“The instruction was that the sum of N450m should be paid to Mr Dele Belgore (SAN) and Prof. Abubakar Suleiman.

“They both received the money and they filled the Receipt of Payment as evidence of receipt of the money and acknowledgement of same.”

Meanwhile, a former attorney-general of the federation Bello Adoke has petitioned the current holder of the office Abubakar Malami and implored to call the EFCC to order.

Adoke said the anti-graft agency allegedly singled him out for persecution when other former high-level government officials, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, took some of the critical decisions that culminated in the controversial $1.1 billion Malabu transactions.