As anxiety mounts over the identities of suspects arrested alongside former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, indications emerged last night that she and other suspects might not be charged to court in Nigeria soon.
This came as chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said he was not shocked about the former minister’s arrest, especially as she had earlier been indicted by the Senate, noting, however, that his committee had no role to play in her prosecution.
According to a top security official working with one of the anti-crime agencies, the reason is that investigation into the money laundering case and bribery is yet to be concluded.
The official, who spoke in confidence with Vanguard last night, said that the investigation had not reached a point of pressing charges against the suspects, citing the length of time it took both Nigerian and British security agencies to investigate a former political office holder, before trial.
The official said: “Look, the idea of charging Diezani or any of the suspects to court does not arise now because investigation is going on in Nigeria and overseas.
“You will recall that it took some years to investigate the case of a former political office holder in Nigeria and London before we arrived at a decision to charge him to court,” the security source said in response to Vanguard’s enquiry last night.
That notwithstanding, the British national crime agency has ordered Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke and four other suspects, who were arrested and released on conditional bail last Friday, to report today at the Charing Cross Police Station.
There were fears that they could be charged today or this week for their alleged involvement in money laundering and bribery.
