Diezani gate: Fidelity bank to cooperate with EFCC

Fidelity Bank has said it is cooperating with investigations into money transactions involving the Bank and the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The bank’s management said in a statement on Thursday that it is it is aware of reports in the media on investigation into transactions undertaken by the bank in its the normal course of business in 2015.

Fidelity’s head of corporate communications Ejike Ndiulo said the transactions are now the subject matter of investigations by the EFCC.

“We can confirm that the transactions were duly reported as required by the regulators and the Bank is cooperating fully with the authorities on the investigation,” he said.

“We assure our numerous stakeholders, including our customers that we are working assiduously towards a quick resolution of the issues.”

The EFCC arrested the Fidelity’s managing director and chief exeucitve officer, Nnamdi Okonkwo, for allegedly receiving $115m from former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The anti graft commission also reportedly arrested the Bank’s Head of Operations, Martins Izuogbe, for alleged involvement in the financial crime.

According to sources, the bank allegedly officials connived with the former minister in the disbursement of money to electoral officials in the run-up to the 2015 general election.

It was gathered that the Bankers facilitated the disbursement deposited in dollars by some oil companies operating in the country.

It was also learnt that the fraud was discovered during interrogations of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Rivers, Delta and Akwa Ibom states officials who received N675.1m.

The transactions were said to have been traced to Fidelity bank who received the funds in tranches from the companies which allegedly includes: Auctus Integrated which deposited $17,884,000 into the bank, and Northern Belt Gas Company which deposited $60m.

Other are: “Midwestern Oil and Gas, deposited $9.5m and a fourth company, Leno Laitan Adesanya, deposited $1.85m, and the MD was alleged to have received $26m in cash.”

The ex-minister is also linked to several financial crimes scams in the oil sector with some of her known associates under EFCC investigation, EFCC sources said.

The former minister who is said to be ill and receiving medical attention at a hospital in the United Kingdom was interrogated last year by the National Crimes Agency in the United Kingdom over money laundering allegations.