Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, faces 10
years in a British jail if she is convicted for alleged bribery.
She and four others were arrested by officials of the International Corruption
Unit of the UK National Crime Agency in London on Friday and detained before
being granted bail.
The five suspects, whom detectives said are between 21 and 60, were arrested
over their alleged roles in transactions involving British companies and Nigerian
government officials and their business associates.
They are to face grilling by ICU officials on Monday at Charing Cross Police
Station in London. Their travel documents have also been seized and they have
been barred from travelling out of Britain.
The agency said in a statement yesterday that it arrested them “as part of an
investigation into suspected bribery and money laundering offences. All five
people arrested were released on conditional police bail later that evening,
pending further investigation both in the UK and overseas. The investigation
commenced in 2013 under the Proceeds of Corruption Unit, and transferred to
the NCA earlier this year.”
They are being investigated for “the bribery of foreign public officials by
individuals or companies from the UK; and money laundering by corrupt foreign
officials and their associates.”
It added that the ICU will also “trace and recover the proceeds of international
corruption; support foreign law enforcement agencies with international anti-
corruption investigations; engage with government and business to reduce the
UK’s exposure to the proceeds of corruption; and work with business to support
increased compliance with the Bribery Act 2010.”
The Bribery Act specifies that “(1) An individual guilty of an offence under
sections 1, 2 or 6 is liable — (a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a
term not exceeding 12 months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory
maximum, or to both; (b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a
term not exceeding 10 years, or to a fine, or to both. (2) Any other person guilty
of an offence under section 1, 2 or 6 is liable — (a) on summary conviction, to a
fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, (b) on conviction on indictment, to a
fine.”
Until recently, the Proceeds of Corruption Unit was domiciled at the
Metropolitan Police Service.
But after the ICU was created at the NCA in line with the UK Anti-Corruption
Plan, the Proceeds of Corruption Unit at the Metropolitan Police and the
Overseas Anti-Corruption Unit of the City of London Police were scrapped.
The ICU then became the UK’s prime agency for the investigation of bribery of
foreign public officials by individuals or companies from the UK, and money
laundering by corrupt foreign officials and their associates.
years in a British jail if she is convicted for alleged bribery.
She and four others were arrested by officials of the International Corruption
Unit of the UK National Crime Agency in London on Friday and detained before
being granted bail.
The five suspects, whom detectives said are between 21 and 60, were arrested
over their alleged roles in transactions involving British companies and Nigerian
government officials and their business associates.
They are to face grilling by ICU officials on Monday at Charing Cross Police
Station in London. Their travel documents have also been seized and they have
been barred from travelling out of Britain.
The agency said in a statement yesterday that it arrested them “as part of an
investigation into suspected bribery and money laundering offences. All five
people arrested were released on conditional police bail later that evening,
pending further investigation both in the UK and overseas. The investigation
commenced in 2013 under the Proceeds of Corruption Unit, and transferred to
the NCA earlier this year.”
They are being investigated for “the bribery of foreign public officials by
individuals or companies from the UK; and money laundering by corrupt foreign
officials and their associates.”
It added that the ICU will also “trace and recover the proceeds of international
corruption; support foreign law enforcement agencies with international anti-
corruption investigations; engage with government and business to reduce the
UK’s exposure to the proceeds of corruption; and work with business to support
increased compliance with the Bribery Act 2010.”
The Bribery Act specifies that “(1) An individual guilty of an offence under
sections 1, 2 or 6 is liable — (a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a
term not exceeding 12 months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory
maximum, or to both; (b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a
term not exceeding 10 years, or to a fine, or to both. (2) Any other person guilty
of an offence under section 1, 2 or 6 is liable — (a) on summary conviction, to a
fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, (b) on conviction on indictment, to a
fine.”
Until recently, the Proceeds of Corruption Unit was domiciled at the
Metropolitan Police Service.
But after the ICU was created at the NCA in line with the UK Anti-Corruption
Plan, the Proceeds of Corruption Unit at the Metropolitan Police and the
Overseas Anti-Corruption Unit of the City of London Police were scrapped.
The ICU then became the UK’s prime agency for the investigation of bribery of
foreign public officials by individuals or companies from the UK, and money
laundering by corrupt foreign officials and their associates.
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