The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to disregard the acquittal of former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke by a United Kingdom court.
The EFCC said the judgment of the Southwark Crown Court in London on 17th of June had no bearing on Diezani’s Nigerian case over assets forfeited by the commission.
The commission made the argument in a further counter-affidavit opposing Diezani’s request to present the UK judgment as evidence in her suit against the EFCC.
“The proceedings before the Southwark Crown Court, London, United Kingdom, and the purported acquittal of the applicant therein, are in respect of a proceeding that is not being prosecuted before any Nigerian court and have nothing to do with the substantive suit before this honourable court,” the EFCC said.
The commission also said the forfeiture orders covering the disputed assets remained valid and had not been set aside.
“The final forfeiture orders pursuant to which the sale of the properties was conducted are still in force and have not been set aside,” it said.
Diezani, through her lawyers led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Mike Ozekhome, is challenging the forfeiture and sale of properties and personal effects linked to her.
Her lawyers argue that the former minister was denied fair hearing and that the UK acquittal is a material development that should be considered by the Nigerian court.
They said Diezani was not asking the court to treat the UK judgment as automatically binding on the Nigerian case.
The former minister was acquitted in London after a jury found her not guilty of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. She had denied the allegations.
The Nigerian case, filed in 2023, concerns assets that Diezani says were wrongly forfeited and sold.
Justice Inyang Ekwo has adjourned the case until 11th of November for hearing of the pending applications.
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