Hearing stalled in Diezani’s $4.760m property forfeiture case

The hearing of an application to forfeit two penthouses valued at $4.760m allegedly belonging to former Petroleum Resources Minister Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke was stalled at the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday.

Neither the applicant, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), nor the respondents were represented when the case called for hearing before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.

A new date, February 12 next year, has been fixed for the hearing.

The court, on December 5, ordered the temporary forfeiture of Penthouse 21, Building 5, Block C, 11th floor (Bella Vista Estate) Banana Island, Ikoyi, and Penthouse 22, Block B (Admiralty Estate) also in Ikoyi, Lagos.

EFCC said the properties were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with “proceeds or crime”.

Mrs Alison-Madueke, Donald Amangbo, Schillenburg LLC and Sequoyah Property Limited are the respondents.

The commission said the companies in whose names the companies were acquired belong to the former minister.

An investigator, Abdulrasheed Bawa, who deposed to a supporting affidavit to the ex-parte motion, said sometime in 2016, a search warrant was executed at Amangbo’s premises.

He said Amangbo was “an acquaintance of former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs Alison Madueke.”

The investigator said one of the documents recovered from Amamgbo led the operatives to the Deputy Managing Director YF Construction Development and Real Estate Limited, Mr. Fadi Basbous.

The deponent said Basbous made a statement where he stated that the two properties were sold at $3.570million and $1.194 million and are owned by Sequoyah Properties Limited and Schillenburg LLC.

Bawa said the properties were paid for by Mrs Angela Jide-Jones and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited.

According to him, Mrs  Jide-Jone was married to Mrs Alison-Madueke’s associate, Jide Omokore, who registered and promoted Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept.

The EFCC investigator said Omokore paid for the properties through his wife, Angela.

According to the operative, Omokore allegedly directed the developer (seller) to sign the agreements with Schillenburg LLC and Sequoyah Properties.

The deponent said Schillenburg LLC was registered in Hongkong and was transferred on March 30, 2012, to Amamgbo as sole owner.

According to the EFCC investigator, Amamgbo stated in his statement that he incorporated Schillenburg LLC and handed it over to Mrs. Alison-Madueke “for a transaction”.

The deponent added that Sequoyah Properties “is among 18 companies registered by Donald Chid Amangbo for holding the properties of Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke”.