Diezani returns to London police station

Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum, visited the Charing Cross Police Station in London on Thursday, according to TVC.

The former minister was interrogated at the station in October when UK National Crime agency arrested her on suspicions of bribery and money laundering.

The Westminster magistrate court later granted her bail but seized her passport while she was asked to report at the station on October 5 but she did not.

The court seized £27, 000 from her, while the agency applied for three separate cash detentions in the names of Diezani, Beatrice Agama (her mother) and Melanie Spencer, a Swiss national.

During her ordeal in the UK, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) carried out a search on her Asokoro, Abuja, residence.

A senior security source had informed TheCable that the raid yielded vital information that would help in the multinational investigation of one of the most powerful people in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“The raid on her Asokoro residence today yielded vital information that will help in the prosecution of the case,” the source said.

“Many agencies across several countries are involved in this investigation. Anti-money laundering agencies in Austria, France, Switzerland, Nigeria and UK are working together on it.”

There were several corruption allegations against her, notably the “missing” $20 billion oil money and deals entered into by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), the exploration arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Diezani has consistently denied any wrongdoing, saying she served her country in the best manner that she could have done.
“Please do not say I stole $20 billion or $18.5 billion because I did not at any point in time,” she told THISDAY.

“And if NNPC misappropriated funds or so, they have the entire explanation and more forensic audit should be done to determine how and why. But people should not make damaging accusations which have nothing to do with an individual. At no point did I steal from the Nigerian state.”