Over $100m recovered from INTELS in few weeks, says EFCC boss, as Bawa clarifies comment on Minister who ‘laundered $37m’ on real estate
*Says minister referred to was Diezani Allison-Madueke
In the last few weeks, over $100 million has been recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from INTELS and for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
This was disclosed by Chairman of the EFCC, Malam Abdulrasheed Bawa, during a press briefing organized by the State House Communication Team headed by Mr. Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Thursday 17 June 2021.
Bawa also seized the opportunity afforded him by the press briefing to clarify his comment concerning a Minister in the past, who he said laundered $37 million through real estate.
During an interview on Channels Television Breakfast Programme, Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, the anti-corruption czaer had explained how the commission investigated a female Minister, who he said connived with the managing director of a bank to purchase a property worth $37 million.
The name of the Minister was, however, not disclosed during the interview.
The EFCC Boss, during the presidential media briefing on Thursday, said he was making reference to an old case involving the former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke and that she will be prosecuted once she is in the country.
The EFCC Chairman further disclosed that in his first one hundred days in office, the agency is working on a number of proactive strategies including a special control unit against money laundering, established particularly to address non-designated financial institutions, that is the car dealers, real estate, jewelery dealers, among other.
The anti-graft agency had filed charges of money laundering against Alison-Madueke who left the country for the UK shortly before the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Former EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu, had given an assurance that Alison-Madueke would be repatriated to face financial crime charges levelled against her in Nigeria.
He revealed that the country, where she is currently being held, has not been able to establish any offence she has committed.
The commission had also disclosed that it had secured the final forfeiture of over $80 million worth of properties owned by the former minister.
Recall that The DEFENDER recently posted on its Facebook social media platform Deziani’s confiscated jewelries valued at N14.460 billion and forfeited properties valued at $80 million.
