Absence of EFCC counsel, Diezani Alison-Madueke stall ex-Petroleum Minister’s trial

The absence of counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in court on Wednesday stalled the money laundering trial.

A Federal High Court, Abuja, had fixed November 3 for the EFCC to give a report on its effort at extraditing Alison-Madueke to the country to stand her trial and for possible mention of the case.

Though Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu was the trial judge in the matter, the case was reassigned to Justice Bolaji Olajuwon following the transfer of Ojukwu to the Calabar division of the court.

Although the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/208/2018, was on number 9 on Wednesday’s cause list, neither the EFCC lawyer nor Mrs Alison-Madueke was in court.

When the matter was called, the court registrar said: “No counsel in court my lord.”

Justice Olajuwon then adjourned the matter till January 24, 2022, for report of mention.

The trial of the ex-minister before the former judge was, on May 17, stalled due to the strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

The matter was fixed for the date, following the absence of the EFCC’s lawyer, Farouk Abdullah, in court on March 3.

On March 3, the case, which was earlier fixed for report or arraignment of the ex-minister, could proceed as neither Abdullah nor Diezani was in court.

The court had, on December 3, 2020, adjourned the matter till March 3 following the inability of the anti-graft agency to fully comply with its orders in the trial of Diezani.

Ojukwu fixed the date after counsel to the EFCC, Abdullah, prayed the court for more time to enable the anti-graft agency to ensure full compliance with the court orders.

The judge had, on October 28, 2020, refused to grant the EFCC’s application seeking the court order on the issuance of a warrant of arrest against Alison-Madueke.

Ojukwu held that an affidavit with evidence in support to prove that the earlier court summon granted the agency had failed in the extradition of Diezani must be filed by the commission before another request could be made.

The judge noted that the EFCC had informed the court that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) hinted that the arrest warrant was needed to further give the International Police (INTERPOL) the impetus to bring the defendant to Nigeria to answer to charges against her.

The judge, however, said it would give the anti-graft agency a room to put its house in order in the trial of the ex-minister because court orders were not made in vain.

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Absence of EFCC counsel, Diezani Alison-Madueke stall ex-Petroleum Minister’s trial