Diezani Alison-Madueke Denies Ownership of $52.5m Repatriated from the USA

Diezani Alison-Madueke Denies Ownership of $52.5m Repatriated from the USA

A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has denied any connection to the $52.5 million recently repatriated to Nigeria from the United States.

PulseNets learnt that the former minister, who has resided in the United Kingdom since leaving Nigeria, attributed the funds linked to her in media reports to Nigerian oil magnate Kola Aluko.

Through her counsel, Prof. Mike Ozekhome SAN, Alison-Madueke clarified her position, stating that there is no truth to claims of a “Diezani Loot.” Speaking to PulseNets, her legal team insisted she had no involvement in the circumstances surrounding the forfeiture of the money by its rightful owner.

The former minister explained that the $52.5 million originated from a vessel seized by U.S. authorities from Kola Aluko. The vessel was subsequently sold, and the proceeds were returned to Nigeria’s federal government.

In a statement issued on Sunday by Mike Ozekhome’s Chambers, titled “There Is No Such Thing as Diezani Loot,” the legal counsel firmly defended Alison-Madueke.

The statement read:

“MY CHAMBERS MAKES THIS INTERVENTION IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AS SOLICITORS TO DIEZANI ALISON-MADUEKE (DAM), THE FORMER MINISTER OF PETROLEUM RESOURCES, HMPR.

“AS HER SOLICITORS, WE ARE FULLY VERSED IN AND CONVERSANT WITH HER PRESENT ORDEAL AND THE ENTIRE FACTS SURROUNDING HER MATTERS BOTH HERE IN NIGERIA AND ABROAD. SO, WE WRITE FROM THE VANTAGE POSITION OF ONE THAT IS AWARE OF THE COCKTAIL OF LIES THAT HAVE BEEN SPURNED AROUND HER CASES IN THE LAST TEN YEARS.

“MANY OF THE NARRATIVES ARE OUTRIGHTLY FALSE; SOME OTHERS SHEER OUTLANDISH SPECULATIONS; AND MOST, SIMPLY BIZARRE STORIES COOKED UP BY HER TRADUCERS TO EXTRACT A SHYLOCK’S POUND OF FLESH FROM HER FOR REASONS SHE DOES NOT KNOW AND CANNOT EVEN FATHOM.

“THIS INTERVENTION THEREFORE SEEKS TO CORRECT THIS SKEWED NARRATIVE AND SET THE RECORDS STRAIGHT FOR PURPOSES OF HISTORY. MANY NIGERIANS OFTEN TALK ABOUT WANTING ‘TECHNOCRATS’ TO BE INVOLVED IN GOVERNANCE. THEY DESIRE THAT PEOPLE WITH CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY SHOULD JOIN POLITICS.

Alison-Madueke, through her legal team, further expressed concern about the sustained vilification she has endured, emphasizing that no court in Nigeria or abroad has found her guilty of any wrongdoing.

PulseNets reported that the statement also addressed the deliberate attempt to connect the former minister to the proceeds from the yacht Galactica, sold by U.S. authorities.

“WE NOTE WITH CONCERN THE RECENT DELIBERATE ATTEMPT TO LINK HER WITH WHAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A CIVIL FORFEITURE OF A YACHT GALACTICA, THE SALE OF WHICH WAS SAID TO HAVE YIELDED $52.8M TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT; WHICH SUM HAS SINCE BEEN REPATRIATED TO NIGERIA.

“THIS IS A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF THE MISCHIEVOUS AND CRUEL SPORT OF TARNISHING THE IMAGE OF THE LADY THROUGH A BOUQUET OF CONSISTENT, PERSISTENT, AND UNRELENTING COCKTAIL OF FALSEHOODS AND MISINFORMATION.

Prof. Ozekhome told PulseNets that attaching Alison-Madueke’s name to the yacht and calling the funds “Diezani Loot” is baseless and misleading.

“THE YACHT GALACTICA, FROM INFORMATION READILY AVAILABLE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND IN OPEN SOURCES, WAS PURCHASED BY MR. KOLA ALUKO WHO HAD USED THE VESSEL UNTIL HE AGREED TO ITS FORFEITURE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

“THE YACHT GALACTICA WAS NEITHER OWNED NOR EVER USED BY OUR CLIENT. DAM HAS IN FACT NEVER SET HER EYES ON THE YACHT. KOLA ALUKO IS AN EXPERIENCED BUSINESSMAN WHO HAD BEEN IN BUSINESS WELL BEFORE DAM CAME INTO OFFICE AS HMPR.”

The statement concluded with a plea for fair hearing and a call for an end to the propagation of defamatory narratives.

“WE PLEAD, AS HER LAWYERS, WITH ALL AND SUNDRY THAT SHE BE ACCORDED FAIR HEARING AND THAT THE PROCESS OF THESE UK COURT PROCEEDINGS BE ALLOWED TO TAKE THEIR NATURAL COURSE TO AVOID PREJUDICE TO HER IN THE ONGOING SUBJUDICE UK PROCEEDINGS AGAINST HER.

Also Read: Diezani Alison-Madueke may escape trial in UK over bribery allegation

”THOSE PURVEYORS AND PEDDLERS WHO HABITUALLY SPIN THESE OUTRIGHTLY FALSE, UNFOUNDED, DEFAMATORY, UNINTELLIGENT, AND INDEFENSIBLE NARRATIVES TO DENIGRATE AND HUMILIATE HER SHOULD PLEASE FIND BETTER USE OF THEIR TIME AND LEAVE DAM ALONE.

“LET THE LAW TAKE ITS NATURAL COURSE WITHOUT INTERFERENCE. WE HUMBLY PRAY.”

PulseNets will continue to follow the story closely.


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