Former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke has denied allegations of bribery and corruption in a UK court, asserting that she neither solicited nor received illicit payments during her time in office. The 65-year-old former minister testified at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, stating that she had “tried to push back on corruption” throughout her tenure. She characterized graft as a persistent issue in Nigeria, tracing its roots back to the colonial era.
Alison-Madueke is currently on trial for charges related to accepting bribes and conspiracy to commit bribery. UK prosecutors have connected these allegations to the awarding of oil and gas contracts between 2010 and 2015, the period during which she served as petroleum minister. The case also includes claims that Nigerian businessmen financed her extravagant lifestyle in London, with over £2 million spent at Harrods and approximately £4.6 million used for refurbishing properties in London and Buckinghamshire. Prosecutors allege that some of these purchases were made using payment cards associated with Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko and his company, Tenka Limited.
In her defense, Alison-Madueke told the court that expenses incurred on her behalf during official engagements were reimbursed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC). She explained that a logistics company was set up in London to manage official arrangements, citing a disorganized financial structure at the NNPC at the time. “They paid for all my hotels, chauffeurs… to allow me to perform the job that I did,” she stated, according to BBC reports.
The former minister, who also served as president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from 2014 to 2015, moved to the United Kingdom following the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party in Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election. She faces multiple corruption cases in Nigeria, some of which have stalled due to her absence. Nigerian courts have ordered the forfeiture of assets worth billions of naira linked to her.
Alison-Madueke further claimed that some properties mentioned by prosecutors were used for official purposes, including discreet meetings, while others were either arranged without her involvement or were uninhabitable at the time. She cited security concerns, noting that she faced kidnapping threats while in office due to the patriarchal nature of Nigerian society.
Also on trial is oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who denies one count of bribery and another of bribing a foreign public official. Additionally, Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama, faces charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, which he also denies. The trial is ongoing.
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