We will go to jail together – What Dieziani allegedly told Kola Aluko, Omokore
Nigeria’s former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke once allegedly threatened to reveal everything that transpired in the controversial fraudulent transactions between her and co-conspirators, Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore.
She made the comment in a recorded telephone conversation, obtained by the prosecutors probing the corruption allegations against her.
It has now been filed as part of a civil complaint by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ),seeking the forfeiture of over $144 million slush funds.
In the recorded conversation with Aluko, Diezani said she helped her co-conspirators secure the multi-billion dollar Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs) deals.
She expressed her anger over the acquisition of assets by Aluko and Omokore.
Dieziani warned that they may invite law enforcement agencies due to their lavish lifestyle.
“You and Jide [i.e., OMOKORE] had some of the most support that we could possibly give. At a time when we’re not doing anything else, we stuck our necks out regarding the SAA and we supported it. [INAUDIBLE] How the two of you have ruined it is incredulous and incredible to all of us,” she said.
“I spoke to you several times about your general behaviour, acquisition of assets, etc., asking you to be a bit more careful because [INAUDIBLE] will start following you. I remember we had this open discussion more than once. You kept telling me that there was no issue because you did it in a certain way, you did it in a certain—and I kept telling you that it doesn’t matter how you do it.
“Once you start acquiring, acquiring, acquiring at a certain level, then you’ll be—whether you like it or not, whether it was done in the most transparent—you understand?— manner or not, because they will want to trace where it came from. This is an age of terrorism.
“If you want to hire a yacht, you lease it for two weeks or whatever. You don’t go and sink funds into it at this time when Nigerian oil and gas sector is under all kinds of watch, as we have been for some time, and where Atlantic [i.e., AEDC and/or AEBD] itself has been the subject of all kinds of speculation,” she said.
In the recorded audio, the ex-Minister threatened that she was ready to reveal everything that transpired between them to Nigerians.
“I said tell him [i.e., ALUKO] to bring everything out, and then you know what will happen? No problem, I will be happy to escort all of you to jail along with myself. I said, in fact, you’ll be shocked by what I will do. Because when it comes to that, I will come out and tell the Nigerian people this is what happened.
“Oh, yes, I will blame myself, but it [INAUDIBLE] place and everything. Anything they want to say, I am happy to go. But I will come out openly and say it so that they can judge me openly. And then all of us go and sit on the gate. Let us see who survived [INAUDIBLE], me or you,” she said.
