The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday applied to remove former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, from a $1.6b money laundering charge it filed against former Directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), counsel to the EFCC, made the application on behalf of the anti-graft agency before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The commission also applied for the exclusion of the names of businessman, Kolawole Akanni Aluko.
The EFCC’s decision to exclude Alison-Madueke and Aluko from the charge was informed by the insistence of the trial judge that it was impossible to proceed with the arrangement of Diezani and Aluko when the duo were not in court and had not been served with the charge.
Those eventually arraigned were businessman, Jide Omokore, former Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC), Victor Briggs, Abiye Membere, former Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, NNPC, Abiye Membere, Manager, Planning and Commercial of the NNPC, David Mbanefo and two companies linked with Omokore – Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited.
They were arraigned on a nine-count charge and accused of obtaining under false pretence and engaging in money laundering estimated at about $1,646,140,379.90.
They pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them which prompted Jacobs, SAN, to request for a date for the commencement of trial.
They were also granted bail at N50 million each with a surety who must either be a director in the federal Civil Service or must have a landed property in the jurisdiction of the court.
Justice Nyako adjourned to October 19 for the commencement of trial.
.Thewill
