Diezani Allison-Madueke asks court to join her as defendant in Dele Belgore’s N500m fraud case
A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, on Monday asked a Federal High Court in Lagos to issue an order, listing her as a party to a N500m fraud charge involving a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dele Belgore.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had charged Belgore together with a former Minister of National Planning, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman, on a five-count bordering on N500m fraud.
The EFCC had named the former petroleum minister as an accomplice in the criminal trial.
She was, however, described as being “at large”.
The EFCC prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, had opened the case for the prosecution and had already called two witnesses in the ongoing trial.
Meanwhile, at the last adjournment on Oct 6, Allison-Madueke, through her lawyer, urged the court to compel the Attorney-General of the Federation to extradite her to Nigeria from the United Kingdom to defend herself.
Justice Mohammed Aikawa had adjourned the case to hear the motion to join Allison-Madueke.
At the resumed trial on Monday, Mr Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), counsel representing Allison-Madueke (the applicant), urged the court to grant his application for “joinder of the applicant” in the sole interest of justice.
“My lord, we have a motion dated Sept. 29 and an affidavit of 16 paragraphs together with a written address which we rely on.
“We have received the counter-affidavit of counsel, but there remains yet one consideration which should touch conscience of parties.
“In four counts of the charge, the applicant’s name was mentioned clearly and there is no alteration to the fact that she has been charged; it simply suggests that it is a consummated complaint.”
According to Ikpeazu, by the definition Section of 494 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, a defendant is any person against whom a complaint or charge is made, while a charge refers to an allegation that any named person has committed an offence.
He argued that from count one to count four, the name of the applicant was mentioned as an accomplice, adding that it would be in the interest of justice to join her in the charge.
Persuasively citing the authority of Frn vs Jide Omokore, FHC/Abj/CR/121/2016, which he argues bears similarity with the instant case, he noted that the judge had struck out the charges on similar grounds.
“We will have no objections if the applicant’s name is extracted from the charge, then, trial can proceed. Otherwise, she should be included in the charge.
“I know that she will be happy to come and face the trial,” he told the court.
