By 
By Olanrewaju Oyedeji
The Federal Government may be presently rounding off its plans to prosecute former Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, The Difference has learnt.
This is coming even as sources close to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have already hinted that the Bayelsa-born former minister will face trial over the $115million (N23.29bn) bribe allegedly paid officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2015 general elections.
After investigation, EFCC operatives believe the $115m doled out by Diezani and her associates through Fidelity Bank came from proceeds of stolen crude oil.
The companies who allegedly fronted for Diezani by transferring money into Fidelity Bank account on her behalf are Northern Belt Gas Company Limited; Auctus Integrated; Midwestern Oil and Gas; and Lenoil, owned by Laitan Adesanya.
Out of the N23.29 billion distributed by Fidelity Bank, Gesila Khan, who was the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Rivers States at the time got N185.8million. She is now the REC of Cross River state.
Fidelia Omoile (Electoral Officer in Isoko-South Local Government Area of Delta State) got N112.5 million; Uluochi Obi Brown INEC’s Administrative Secretary in Delta State got N111,500,000.
A former Deputy Director of INEC in Cross River State, Edem Okon Effanga was paid N241,127,000 and the Head of Voter Education in INEC in Akwa Ibom, Immaculata Asuquo also got N214,127,000.
The EFCC is still compiling the list of INEC officials in all the 36 states, who were recipients of Diezani’s N23.29billion.
“Our operatives have discovered that the $115 million came from stolen crude oil. They got it from former Petroleum Resources Minister Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke,” a top EFCC reportedly said.
“We will uncover how they came about the stolen crude oil and those used to siphon the oil in order to deny the nation of revenue,” the official who does not want to be named revealed.
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