Alison-Madueke Denies Wrong Doing as Prosecutors Present Evidence

By Adedapo Adesanya

Embattled former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, returned to court in London on Monday, denying wrongdoing as prosecutors presented evidence for an alleged bribery.

It was recently reported that Mrs Alison-Madueke, once president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), received cash and luxury benefits in exchange for influence over oil and gas contracts when she was a minister in the cabinet of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

She has denied the claims repeatedly.

In the latest development in her trial, jurors in the British court today heard testimony from a luxury furnishings retailer and a former housekeeper, as prosecutors sought to show how high-end purchases and property use were allegedly routed through intermediaries.

The 65-year-old is accused of multiple bribery counts stemming from a years-long investigation.

The alleged offences occurred between 2011 and 2015, when she was Nigeria’s oil minister but maintained a UK address.

The UK National Crime Agency (NCA), which targets international and serious and organised crime, accused her of receiving the bribes in Britain.

Mrs Alison-Madueke is accused of accepting “financial or other advantages” from individuals linked to the Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups.

Both companies secured contracts with the then Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) or its subsidiaries, according to the prosecution.

The former minister is also said to have received £100,000 ($137,000) in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, a private jet flight to Nigeria and refurbishment work and staff costs at several London properties.

Other counts allege she received school fees for her son, products from high-end shops such as London’s Harrods department store and Louis Vuitton, and further private jet flights.

Mrs Alison-Madueke has been involved in numerous legal cases globally, including in the United States.

She has been on bail in Britain since she was arrested in October 2015.

In 2023, she was formally charged with accepting bribes, which she has denied.