How Diezani lavished $100m on furniture, artworks — US

The United States of America has given the details of how a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs . Diezani Alison - Madueke , allegedly laundered about $ 144 m , using part of the funds to purchase a yacht , landed properties , furniture and artworks 

.

According to the US, while she held sway as the Nigerian petroleum minister, Diezani , who was otherwise known as “ the Madam ” or “ Madam D , ” led “ a lavish and privileged lifestyle , ” spending “ more than one million dollars on furniture , artwork, and other furnishings purchased within the Southern District of Texas, and shipped , in part , to London and Abuja , Nigeria .”

These were contained in a 91 - page “ verified complaint” filed by the US Government before the US District Court , Southern District of Texas , Houston Division , where it is seeking an order to forfeit funds and assets worth $144 m linked to Diezani.

The US , in the “ verified complaint” signed by a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation , Elizabeth Crispino, said Diezani allegedly acquired the assets with kickbacks from “ an international conspiracy to obtain lucrative business opportunities in the Nigerian oil and gas sector .”

The assets , the US stated, were acquired between April 2010 and May 2015 when Diezani was “ overseeing Nigeria ’ s state - owned oil company , the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation .”

Among the properties , which the US now seeks to be forfeited , are a 65 -metre motor yacht , named M / Y Galactica Star ; two properties known as 807 and 815 Cima Del Mundo Road , Montecito , Calif; as well as funds in a couple of companies.

The US stated that Diezani, with the help of and in conspiracy with two Nigerian businessmen , Kolawole Akanni Aluko and Olajide Omokore , “ laundered the proceeds of the illicit business opportunities into and through the United States.”

In the court processes obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday, the US detailed, using tables , the “ living and lifestyle expenses for Alison - Madueke.”

One table , tagged , ‘ Rental Payments, ’ showed how Aluko and his company , Tracon Investments Limited, helped Diezani to make a total of at least £537 , 922 in rental payments for two central London residences both located at 22 St . Edmunds Terrace , London NW 8 7QQ , where Diezani and her mother stayed between August 2011 and January 2014.

Another table , tagged, ‘ Transportation Services ’ , showed how Aluko and his beneficially - owned company , TENKA, helped Diezani to make at least £393 , 274 .32 in payments to a car hire company , the “ Chauffeur Company” , while Omokore and his own company , Energy Property Development Ltd . , also paid at least £4 , 424 .40 to the “ Chauffeur Company” to convey Diezani and her family about the UK between December 2012 through at least July 2014

The FBI agent , Crispino , stated , “ Upon information and belief , the above payments were made corruptly by , on behalf of , or at the direction of Aluko and Omokore for the benefit of Alison -Madueke and / or her family , in return for Alison - Madueke ’ s having improperly influenced the award of the Forcados SAAs to AEDC and in anticipation of or in return for her improperly influencing the award of the Brass SAA.

“ In particular , the director of the Chauffeur Company has stated that in or around June 2014 , he was assaulted in the hallway outside of Alison -Madueke ’ s known residence at Flat 19 , 22 St . Edmunds Terrace , London NW8 7QQ , by two men known by the director to be Alison - Madueke ’ s associates.

“ This assault occurred as the director of the Chauffeur Company was attempting to deliver a letter concerning approximately £224 , 000 in unpaid services provided by his company to Alison -Madueke .

“ The director of the Chauffeur Company has further stated that, upon hearing the commotion , Alison -Madueke herself appeared and instructed her associates to settle the unpaid bill.

“ As the preceding table indicates , roughly one month after the hallway assault, TENKA paid a total of £135 , 361 .48 to the Chauffeur Company.”

Crispino said Diezani’ s assets were liable to being forfeited “ under 18 U .S .C . § § 981 ( a) ( 1 ) ( A) and 981 ( a ) ( 1)( C ) , ” as they were “ derived from , or traceable to the proceeds of ‘ specified unlawful activity , ’ as that term is defined in 18 U .S . C . § 1956 ( c) ( 7 ) , or a conspiracy to commit ‘ specified unlawful activity , ’ and as property involved in money laundering violations of 18 U. S .C . §§ 1956 and 1957 .”

Crispino stated that “ Section 1956 ( a ) ( 2) prohibits transferring funds known to be the proceeds of unlawful activity from a place outside the United States to a place in the United States , with knowledge that the transfer is designed in whole or in part to conceal the nature, location, source , ownership , or control of the proceeds of a specified unlawful activity , including the proceeds of an offense against a foreign nation involving ‘ bribery of a public official , or the misappropriation , theft, or embezzlement of public funds by or for the benefit of a public official . ”