US Recovers $53m In Profits From Illegal Contracts Involving Diezani, Aluko, Omokore
The United States Department of Justice has announced the conclusion of two civil cases seeking the forfeiture of luxury assets derived from foreign corruption offences and laundered in or through the United States.
Documents from the Justice Department revealed that Diezani Alison-Madueke and two of her business partners, Kolawole Akanni Aluko and Oladimeji Omokore, were involved in the laundry cases.
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The department announced on Monday that it had recovered approximately $53.1 million in cash, representing the net liquidated value of the defendant’s assets, as well as a promissory note with a principal value of $16 million.
According to court documents, between 2011 and 2015, businessmen Aluko and Omokore conspired with others to bribe Diezani, who oversaw the nation’s state oil company at the time.
Diezani, in exchange, directed lucrative oil contracts to companies owned by Aluko and Omokore.
According to the department, the proceeds of the illicitly awarded contracts totaling more than $100 million were laundered in and through the United States and used to purchase various assets through shell companies, including luxury real estate in California and New York and the 65-meter superyacht Galactica Star.
The property also served as collateral for loans made to Aluko and the shell corporations he controlled. The lienholders were compensated as part of the forfeiture process.
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The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Criminal Division of the Justice Department, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Chief Jim Lee of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
The cases were investigated by the FBI’s International Corruption Squad in the Washington Field Office and the IRS-CI, with assistance from the FBI Los Angeles Field Office.
The cases were prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Michael W. Khoo and Joshua L. Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. The Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice and U.S. The Southern District of Texas Attorney’s Office provided substantial assistance.
The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative brought these cases. In partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and frequently with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, to use those recovered assets to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office,” read a portion of the department’s statement.
The FBI established International Corruption Squads across the nation in 2015 to address the national and international implications of foreign corruption.
Contact federal law enforcement at tips.fbi.gov/ or send an email to [email protected] if you have information regarding possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in the United States or laundered through the country.
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