EFCC withdraws Diezani linked charges – TheNigerialawyer

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has
withdrawn a 14 count charge filed against a former Minister of
Petroleum, Diezani  Madueke, along with Ben Otti, Nnamdi
Okonkwo, Stanley Lawson, Lanre Adesanya, and Dauda Lawal, all of
them former officials of commercial banks and the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Daily
Trust report.^[1]

Daily Trust yesterday gathered that at the resumed hearing of
the matter before Justice Muslim Hassan of a Federal High Court
Lagos on 5th November 2019, EFCC through its lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo
dropped the corruption charges against most of the accused persons
through an amended four-count charge.

The amended charges which border on money laundering only seeks
to prosecute a former Executive Director of First Bank PLC, Dauda
Lawal alongside Deizani Madueke and Ben Otti who served as Group
Executive Director of finance at the NNPC.

Madueke and Ben Otti have both been at large since the beginning
of the matter which was first filed in Court on 28th November
2018.

Also Nnamdi Okonkwo, Managing Director Fidelity Bank, Stanley
Lawson a former Group Executive Director Finance NNPC and Lanre
Adesanya an Executive Director at Sterling Bank all did not make
any appearance in court and have not been arraigned.

However, in a twist at the resumed hearing of the matter on 5th
November 2019 almost one year after the charges were filed, a
source close to Dauda Lawal, who noted that the former Executive
Director First Bank did not fail to appear in court in all
adjourned dates of the matter were shocked that all other accused
persons have been exonerated.

The EFCC had in the 14 count charges accused the bank executives
and the NNPC officials of conspiring to conceal $153 million in
Fidelity bank which they ought to have known were proceed of
corruption punishable under the Money Laundering Act.

Daily Trust gathered that in 2015, the EFCC discovered $153m was
deposited, being collection from oil companies allegedly to fund
the presidential campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party’s
candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan.

The matter was investigated by the EFCC and the bankers were
alleged to have conspired with Madueke and other NNPC officials to
conceal and distribute parts of the fund.

However, Lawal then Executive Director of First bank is being
accused of assisting Madueke to purchase a property known as
Merdien Hotel Ogeyi Palace in Port Harcourt when he received $25m
from Fidelity Bank and deposited the same amount with Sterling Bank
allegedly on the instruction of Stanley Lawson.

A source familiar with the First Bank transaction noted that it
is curious how the banker who had no contact with Madueke and was
only acting on the instruction of a customer can be charged for
conspiracy, while those who were alleged to be directly linked to
the funds have been exonerated.

When contacted yesterday for comments on the story, EFCC
spokesman Wilson Uwujaren said he is not aware of the matter.

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