5 bank chiefs in trouble over $153m allegedly stolen by Diezani from NNPC

There are strong indications that about five bank chiefs may soon face trial over $153million allegedly withdrawn by the ex- Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke from the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in December 2014.

According to The Nation, a source from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), revealed the intention of the anti-graft agency to prosecute about five bank chiefs who allegedly aided the ex-minister in making the withdrawal from NNPC accounts and stashing same in private accounts of Diezani.

While the source noted that the commission is not making that a priority at the moment, it however said, “Some of these bank chiefs are pleading that we should allow them to refund the funds credited to them without prosecution. But the weight of evidence will determine our position at the end of the day.

“The truth is that many bank chiefs were engaged by the ex-minister to perpetrate fraud. So far, all the banks implicated are cooperating with the EFCC. We hope that in two weeks’ time, the $153million would have been forfeited to the Federal Government.”

The EFCC had on Friday obtained an order of a Federal High Court in Lagos to temporarily seize $153,310,000 allegedly laundered into four Nigerian banks by Diezani.

The EFCC had told the court that the huge cash was wired from NNPC accounts to Fidelity Bank before it was shared into Sterling Bank, Access Bank Plc, First Bank Plc and Fidelity Bank Plc for safe keeping.

The commission’s breakdown of how the loot was hidden said Access Bank has $5 million in its custody, Sterling Bank N23, 446,300,000 and First Bank (N9, 080,000,000). It added that the banks aided and abetted the massive fraud perpetrated by the minister.

Meanwhile, an EFCC source also revealed to The Nation that the commission has uncovered a sprawling estate it suspects belongs to the former minister.

It said the property is coded as BGIS/OK/02/16/310 and located on Diepreye Alamieyeseigha Street, off Goodluck Jonathan Road in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

It was also gathered that the acting EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu, has left Abuja for London, for what an EFCC source claimed will be the biggest fraud trial in the UK against the former Minister of Petroleum.