A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Tuesday denied charges of bribery as her trial commenced at Southwark Crown Court in London, with prosecutors alleging she enjoyed an opulent lifestyle funded by corrupt payments.
Prosecutors told the court that the 65-year-old ex-minister received bribes spanning 2011 to 2015 whilst occupying the position of petroleum resources minister under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The prosecution claimed that individuals pursuing highly profitable oil and gas contracts with Nigeria’s state petroleum firm provided her with considerable financial benefits and other advantages in exchange for her influence.
“She should not have accepted benefits from those doing extremely lucrative business with government-owned entities,” the prosecutor said.
The charges alleged that Alison-Madueke obtained financial rewards and other gratifications from persons connected to Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups, firms which secured lucrative deals with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries.
Prosecutors detailed before the court that the alleged inducements comprised £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, private jet flights, refurbishment work and staff costs at London properties, as well as school fees for her son and luxury items from stores such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton.
The former minister, who also headed the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries from 2014 to 2015, has been connected to multiple legal proceedings across different jurisdictions, including the United States.
In 2017, Nigerian courts ordered the seizure of properties worth several million dollars linked to her.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has continue to prosecute outstanding cases against the ex-minister.
She has been on bail since her October 2015 arrest in London, with charges formally preferred against her in 2023.
She has persistently rejected all allegations levelled against her.
At the time of her arrest, the UK National Crime Agency stated it suspected she had “abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.”
Two co-defendants, Mr Doye Agama, described as her brother, and Mr Olatimbo Ayinde, are equally facing trial on related bribery allegations.
The trial judge, Justine Thornton, indicated her expectation that the case would wrap up by April 24.
