The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday appealed to the Federal High Court in Lagos to order the permanent forfeiture of the 2 ,149 pieces of jewellery and a customised gold iPhone , valued at $ 40 m , recovered from the Abuja home of a former Minister of Petroleum Resources , Mrs Diezani Alison -Madueke .
In an affidavit deposed to by Rufai Zaki, an investigator , the EFCC insisted that the items were beyond Diezani ’s “ known and provable lawful income .”
Zaki recalled that Diezani was appointed the Minister of Petroleum Resources on April 12 , 2010 .
He said findings by the EFCC showed that she started acquiring the jewellery in 2012 from one Bukola Oyewumi of Trinket Box Bespoke Jewellery at Ikeja City Mall , Alausa.
The investigator said the EFCC was in possession of the details of the UBA account through which Diezani received her salary as a minister .
“ The respondent did not utilise her salary or any part of her legitimate income to acquire the assets sought to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria, ” Zaki said.
He said a “ damning intelligence report ” received by the EFCC led to the search of Diezani’ s house at No. 10 Fredrick Chiluba Close, Asokoro , Abuja .
Zaki’ s said the EFCC invited Oyewumi and she made a statement , saying she started selling jewellery to Diezani in 2012 .
According to Zaki, Oyewumi also made available to the EFCC the invoices issued in respect of the jewellery in which ‘Aunty D ’ was written as the buyer .
He said the EFCC also discovered that apart from Oyewumi, Diezani also bought jewellery from one Minal Ratanani of Bella Vista Apartment , Banana Island, Ikoyi , Lagos .
According to him, Ratanani admitted during questioning by the EFCC that Diezani bought jewellery worth $ 865 ,300 . 00 from her over a period and she paid cash .
Counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo , said it was in the best interest of justice for the court to order the permanent forfeiture of the jewellery and the gold iPhone to the Federal Government .
He said the court was empowered to make such forfeiture order under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offence Act 2006 , because “ the respondent’s known and provable lawful income is far less than the properties sought to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. ”
But Diezani , through her counsel , Nnamdi Awa -Kalu , insisted that the seizure of the items amounted to a violation of Diezani’ s constitutional right to own properties.
At the end of Monday ’s hearing , Justice Nicholas Oweibo adjourned till September 11 , 2019 for ruling .
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