A witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Usman Zakari, yesterday named some of the individuals and public officials who benefited from an alleged bribe of $115 million given by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The anti-graft agency said the funds served as bribe to compromise the 2015 general election.

Zakari told Justice Rilwan Aikawa that it was recovered from a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Dele Belgore.

Belgore is standing trial before Justice Aikawa for allegedly collecting N450 million from Diezani and distributing it to beneficiaries in Kwara State.

The EFCC accused him of handling the money in cash without going through any financial institution, an act said to be an offence under sections 1(a), 16(d), 15(2)(d) and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012.

The EFCC said Belgore is liable to be punished under sections 15(3)(4), and 16(2)(b) of the same Act.

Standing trial along with Belgore is a former Minister of National Planning, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman.

The document tendered by the anti-graft agency before the Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday showed that the resident Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Kwara State at the time received N1 million cash.

According to the document, the Commissioner of Police in Kwara State at the time received N10 million cash, while the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations got N2 million cash.

Similarly, the Assistant Commissioners of Police in charge of operations and administration in Kwara State, got N1 million cash each.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state was also given a cash of N10 million, while the Administrative Secretary in the state at the time received N5 million cash.

The INEC Head of Department, Operations and “his boys” were given N5 million, while “other officers” received and shared N2 million among themselves.

Also listed as beneficiaries of the Diezani bribe in Kwara State were OC MOPOL and “his men,” who got N7 million; 2 i/c Mopol and men in the state, got N10 million; the Director of the State Security Service (SSS) and his men, who got N2.5 million.

The military in Kwara State was bribed with N50 million, according to the document, while other security agencies including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Road Safety Corps got N20 million. (The Guardian)

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