Court rejects Diezani’s request to appear for money laundering trial

A federal high court in Lagos has rejected an application by Diezani Alison-Madueke, seeking to appear before it as a defendant in a money laundering trial.

Alison-Madueke is seeking to be joined in the money laundering suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Mohammed Belgore, a senior advocate of Nigeria, and Abubakar Suleiman, a former minister of national planning.

The former minister, who is currently in the UK, had asked the court to include her as a defendant in the four counts in which she is mentioned.

She had also asked the court to compel the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice to facilitate her return to the country for the case.

But the court, at its sitting on Wednesday, rejected her application while describing it as “misuse of court processes”.

Rilwan Aikawa, the presiding judge, said he will not be used to obstruct the former minister’s trial in the UK.