Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s statement has been read at the Southwark Crown Court in the United Kingdom (UK) in the ongoing trial of Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former minister of petroleum.
According to the BBC, Jonathan’s statement was read during court proceedings on Tuesday.
In the statement, the former president informed the court that it was not unusual for third parties to make payments on behalf of ministers on overseas duties.
Jonathan said he had approved Alison-Madueke’s use of private jets on some foreign trips.
“Any properly incurred incidental or in-kind assistance from third parties would be recorded and reimbursed where applicable,” the BBC quoted the former president as saying in the statement.
Alison-Madueke was minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015 during the Jonathan administration.
The former minister is standing trial alongside Olatimbo Ayinde, an oil executive, and Doye Agama, her brother, on a five-count charge bordering on accepting bribes.
They all have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
PREVIOUS COURT PROCEEDINGS
In January, British prosecutors accused Alison-Madueke of accepting bribes in the form of luxury goods and use of high-level properties from industry figures.
The prosecutors had said Alison-Madueke was given high-end properties and luxury goods by people who believed that she would use her influence to favour them for oil contracts.
Jonathan Laidlaw, counsel to Alison-Madueke, told the court that his client had no real influence on the award of oil contracts during her time in office as the minister.
