Court Grants Diezani Alison-Madueke’s Request To Present Evidence Of UK Court Judgment Acquitting Her

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted an application filed by former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, seeking permission to present evidence of her acquittal by the Southwark Crown Court in London, United Kingdom.

The application, filed through her lawyer, Godwin Iyinbor, was granted after it was not opposed by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mofesomo Oyetibo.

The Southwark Crown Court had on June 17 discharged and acquitted the former minister of criminal bribery charges brought against her in the United Kingdom.

Diezani had earlier instituted a suit before Justice Ekwo seeking to reclaim assets that had been forfeited.

At the court proceedings, both Iyinbor and Oyetibo regularised the processes they had filed before the court. Iyinbor subsequently sought leave to move a motion on notice filed on June 25, requesting permission to file a further supplementary affidavit to bring to the court’s attention the fresh and material development arising from Diezani’s acquittal by the UK court. He also asked the court to deem the supplementary affidavit as properly filed.

Oyetibo confirmed that the EFCC had been served with the application. Although he remarked that the motion was intended to waste the court’s judicial time, Justice Ekwo asked whether the commission intended to oppose the application. In response, the EFCC’s counsel informed the court that it had no objection.

Justice Ekwo consequently granted the application as requested and adjourned the matter until October 6 for hearing.

The judge further directed that, on the next adjourned date, the preliminary objection and the substantive suit would be heard together.