The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged Justice Inyang Ekwo to dismiss an application by former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, which seeks to tender proof of her acquittal by the Southwark Crown Court in London.
In its further counter-affidavit, the anti-graft agency contended that the foreign tribunal’s decision bears no relevance or materiality to the specific legal questions pending before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
This response comes after Justice Ekwo initially approved Diezani’s request on July 1 to admit the UK judgment.
The motion, presented by her counsel Godwin Iyinbor, went unchallenged by EFCC’s lead lawyer, Mofesomo Oyetibo, SAN, at the time. The application aimed to introduce new developments following the UK court’s June 17 decision to discharge and acquit the former minister of bribery charges.
Following her London acquittal, Alison-Madueke initiated legal action (suit FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2023) against the EFCC to recover her previously forfeited assets.At Tuesday’s proceedings, defense counsel Queen-Ubokutom Uwe noted that the day was scheduled to hear both the EFCC’s preliminary objection and her client’s originating motion. She informed the court, however, that the commission served the opposition’s further counter-affidavit—sworn to by Oyakhilome Ekienabor, a litigation officer in Oyetibo’s chambers—just before the session began.
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