Diezani Describes Forfeitured $153.3 Million As A Hoax, Challenges EFCC To Publish Details.

Former Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has said the
$153.3million allegedly forfeited by her to the Nigerian Government is a
hoax, a bogus lies aimed at tarnishing her reputation.

She challenged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to publish the account details linking where the $153.3million was found.

The former Petroleum Minister said no one has contacted her in regards to
the $153.3million allegedly found in her account, yet her name has been
linked as the owner of the said huge sums

The former Petroleum Minister said no one has contacted her in regards to
the $153.3million allegedly found in her account, yet her name has been
linked as the owner of the said huge sums.

In the face of the obvious falsification of facts and misinformation, it
is only right and proper that the EFCC should publish the details of the
$153.3M lodgements, the bank account numbers and the account
beneficiaries, showing proof of my link to them. Having also alleged that
the said $153.3M was ‘wired’ from NNPC, the EFCC should also publish
details of the NNPC accounts from where the said $153.3 million was taken
from, with proof that I authorized such a transaction/transactions acting
either in my private capacity or, as The Honourable Minister of Petroleum

STATEMENT

THE $153.3MILLION ALLEGATION.

I am deeply disturbed and bewildered by recent media reports (Premium
Times Thursday 12 January, 2017 and other dailies about the same time)
claiming that by virtue of an order of the Federal High Court, I have
forfeited to the Federal Government, the sum of $153.3m which I purportedly stole from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

First and foremost, whilst the reasons for my being out of the country are
public knowledge, the principle of fair hearing demands that I should have
been notified of formal charges if truly there was a prima facie evidence
or indictment against my person linking me with the said issue, so as to
ensure that I had adequate legal representation. This was never done.

I wish to state that I cannot forfeit what was never mine. I do not know
the basis on which the EFCC have chosen to say that I am the owner of these funds as no evidence was provided to me before the order was obtained and they have not in fact served me with the order or, any evidence since they obtained it. As at the time of my writing this
rebuttal (Thursday 19th January, 2017) the EFCC have still not furnished
me or my Lawyers, with a copy of the order.

I am also informed by my lawyers that the legislation under which the EFCC
obtained this order is for situations where the  funds are believed to be
the proceeds of crime and the owner is not known. I do not therefore,
understand how the EFCC can in the same breath say that the monies in
question are mine. If they had evidence that the monies were mine then
they would not /should not, have used the procedure which applies only to
funds of unknown ownership.

If indeed they used this particular legal
procedure because they did not know who owned the monies, then how can
they now be falsely attributing the ownership to me(Annex-1A).

Let me re-state categorically as I have always maintained, for the record,
I have NOT and WILL NEVER Steal Money from OR DEFRAUD the Federal
Government of Nigeria. I am willing to respond to any charges brought
against me that follow duly laid down procedures. However, in their
typical manner and style, the EFCC have gone to the media to attempt to
prosecute their case as trial by TV and other media.

Let me state for the record that as Minister of Petroleum, the operation
and management of NNPC finances were outside my purview as outlined in
both the Petroleum Act and the NNPC Act. The only involvement I had in
NNPC Finances was in terms of statutory matters, where the Petroleum Act
prescribed that as Minister, there were certain duties or actions which I
had to perform or take in relation to NNPC.