Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former minister of petroleum resources, appeared before the Westminster Magistrate’s Court in London on Monday morning, October 2, to answer bribery charges brought against her as a result of an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the UK.
Between 2010 and 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration featured Diezani as a key figure.
He also served as the OPEC’s president during that time.
In order to grant multi-million pound oil and gas contracts, Diezani allegedly accepted bribes while serving as the Minister for Petroleum Resources. She was accused of receiving at least £100,000 in cash, limo-driven cars, private jet travel, opulent vacations for her family, and access to numerous London properties.
Her accusations included a list of financial perks, such as furniture, staff for property renovations, payment of tuition for private schools, and gifts from upscale designer stores like Louis Vuitton products and Cartier jewelry.
All of the accusations against her that were read aloud in court concerned alleged incidents that happened in London while she was serving as a Nigerian minister.
She is accused of accepting a wide range of benefits, both in cash and in kind, from those hoping to win or maintain their position as winners of oil contracts, which the prosecutor estimates to be worth billions of dollars overall. The benefits included the delivery of £100,000 ($121,620) in cash, the payment of her son’s private school tuition, and the use and renovation of several opulent properties in London and the English countryside.
They also included the use of a Range Rover, paying for chauffeured cars, furniture, and purchases from the upscale London department store Harrods and Vincenzo Caffarella, which sells Italian antiques and decorative arts.
She entered a not-guilty plea to the accusations.
A court case against the former petroleum minister was announced by Andy Kelly, the head of the NCA’s International Corruption Unit (ICU), on August 22.
“We believe that Diezani Alison-Madueke used her position of authority in Nigeria improperly and accepted financial compensation for signing multi-million pound contracts.
These accusations mark a turning point in a lengthy and intricate global investigation.
Bribery is a widespread form of corruption that fosters serious crime and can have disastrous effects on developing nations.
To address the threat, we will continue to collaborate with allies domestically and abroad.
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