Operatives of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission have visited two
mansions in Dubai allegedly belonging to a
former Minister of Petroleum Resources ,
Diezani Alison- Madueke.
The properties , located at E 146 Emirates Hill
and J5 Emirates Hill, are said to be worth
74, 000 ,000 dirham (N 7 .1 bn) .
Emirates Hill, which has been described as
the Beverly Hills of the United Arab Emirates,
is home to some of the richest men in the
world including billionaire Chairman of the
Stallion Group, Sunil Vaswani .
Others , who are Diezani’s neighbours, include
the immediate past Prime Minister of
Pakistan , Nawaz Sharif; a former President of
Pakistan , Asif Ali Zardari; and Robert Mugabe
junior , the son of the President of Zimbabwe
and one of Africa ’s longest serving leaders,
President, Robert Mugabe .
A source within the EFCC told our
correspondent that the anti-graft agency was
already applying for the forfeiture of the
properties through the Office of the Attorney
General of the Federation .
If the commission is able to clear all legal
hurdles and ensure the final forfeiture of the
property, it would bring the total amount of
cash and assets finally recovered from
Diezani to $ 200 m ( N 70bn) .
A detective , who did not want his name in
print , said the anti -graft agency would exploit
the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty the
Federal Government had recently signed with
the government of the UAE .
The agreements, signed by President
Muhammadu Buhari , are Agreement on
Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters ,
Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Civil
and Commercial Matters, Agreement on the
Transfer of Sentenced Persons and an
Extradition Treaty .
The source stated , “We have informed the
UAE authorities that from our investigation ,
we believe Diezani bought the properties
with the proceeds of crime. The whole
process is still ongoing but with the MLAT ,
signed by President Buhari, it has made work
a lot easier for us.”
The detective explained that before the
Federal Government signed the treaty, the
UAE law prevented foreign officials from
having access to properties in the country
without the express permission of its owner.
He added that with the new treaty , the UAE
authorities were more cooperative and would
readily give information of properties from
their Land Registry System.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Presidential
Advisory Committee Against Corruption,
Prof . Itse Sagay( SAN), who hailed Buhari for
signing the treaty, told The PUNCH that some
corrupt senators , who also owned properties
in Dubai , would be made to forfeit them .
Sagay also disagreed with some legal experts
who said the Dubai treaty would need to be
ratified by the National Assembly before it
could be activated.
He said, “ The UAE MLAT is not a treaty as
such but an agreement; so, it will be operated
without their (senators ) approval.
“ So, let that start worrying them (senators ) .
He ( President) will implement it directly . So,
those of them that have acquired properties in
Dubai and other Middle -East countries should
kiss their properties good bye . ”
http://punchng.com/efcc-inspects-diezanis-n7bn-dubai-properties-moves-for-forfeiture/

Good one.