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.
Source
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.
Source
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