Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to multiple bribery charges as her trial commenced at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Prosecutors told the court that Alison-Madueke, 65, lived a “life of luxury” allegedly funded by illicit payments received between 2011 and 2015, when she served under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
According to the prosecution, individuals seeking lucrative oil and gas contracts with Nigeria’s state-owned oil company provided the former minister with substantial financial and other benefits in exchange for influence.
“She should not have accepted benefits from those doing extremely lucrative business with government-owned entities,” the prosecutor said.
Alison-Madueke is accused of receiving cash and other inducements from individuals linked to the Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups, which secured contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiaries.
The court heard that the alleged benefits included £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven vehicles, private jet flights, property refurbishment and staff expenses at London residences, payment of school fees for her son, and luxury purchases from high-end stores including Harrods and Louis Vuitton.
The former minister, who also served as President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) between 2014 and 2015, has faced multiple legal challenges in different jurisdictions, including the United States.
In Nigeria, several properties linked to her and valued at millions of dollars were seized by court order in 2017, while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission continues to pursue pending cases against her.
Alison-Madueke has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015 and was formally charged in 2023. She has consistently denied all allegations.
The UK National Crime Agency previously said it suspected she abused her position in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.
Two other defendants, identified as Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also standing trial on related bribery charges.
The trial judge, Justice Justine Thornton, said the proceedings are expected to conclude by April 24.
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