The corruption trial of Nigeria’s former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, continued on Wednesday in London at Southwark Crown Court where jurors were told how Alison-Madueke received cash and gifts including school fees for her son.
The court heard how third parties allegedly spent millions of pounds on luxury property refurbishments for the 65-year-old ex-minister.
On Wednesday, a construction contractor linked to high-end London homes became the focus as prosecutors worked to trace what they describe as a wider financial trail of benefits flowing through intermediaries.
The alleged offences were said to have been committed between 2011 and 2015, when she was Nigeria’s oil minister but maintained a UK address.
The UK National Crime Agency (NCA) has accused her of receiving the bribes in Britain.
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 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.
President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) between 2014 and 2015, Alison-Madueke has been involved in numerous legal cases around the world, including in the United States.
She has been on bail in Britain since she was first arrested in October 2015. In 2023, she was formally charged with accepting bribes, which she has denied.
Two others, Doye Agama — her brother — and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also being prosecuted on bribery charges linked to the case.
All three defendants had a British address at the time of the alleged offences, according to the prosecution.
