Nigeria’s Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was among witnesses who appeared before a Nigerian Senate Committee investigating alleged misappropriation and embezzlement of funds by some of the country’s ambassadors.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Olu Adeniji, and former lawyer to the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, Barrister Emeka Ugwuonye, also testified before the committee, which sat yesterday in Senate Hearing Room 204 (2^nd Floor) of the New Senate Building in Abuja, capital of Nigeria.

The case of the disappearance of the $27 million realised from the sale of Nigeria’s property in the USA is top on the list of cases being investigated by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs headed by Senator (Amb) Matthew Ifeanyi Nwagwu.

News Express learnt that yesterday’s sitting lasted for much of the day, with Okonjo-Iweala being the first to testify and Ugwuonye the last. Ugwuonye, the star witness, took the most time – upwards of four hours – telling the committee all that he knows about the sale of Nigeria’s property in the US and how embassy officials allegedly misappropriated and embezzled the money.

Okonjo-Iweala served briefly as Minister of Foreign Affairs (June 21, 2006 – August 30, 2006) under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, after being redeployed from the Ministry of Finance (July 15, 2003 – June 2, 12000). She resigned to return to her job as Managing Director of the World Bank, a position she held until she staged a comeback under incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan on July 11, 2011.

Ambassador Adeniji served as Foreign Affairs Minister from July 2003 to June 2006, then as Internal Affairs Minister from June 21, 2006 to May 2007.

•Photo shows Dr. Okonjo-Iweala.