Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke made an appearance in a UK court on Monday, where she faced charges of accepting bribes in various forms, including cash, luxury items, private jet flights, and high-end properties in exchange for awarding oil contracts. The arraignment took place at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London.
During the court session, Alison-Madueke provided her name, date of birth, and address but was not asked to formally enter a plea. Her attorney, Mark Bowen, informed the court that she would plead not guilty to the charges. The charges presented in court were all related to events alleged to have occurred in London.
Diezani Alison-Madueke, aged 63, played a significant role in former President Goodluck Jonathan's administration. She served as the petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 and also held the position of president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The prosecutor, Andy Young, alleged that she had accepted a wide range of benefits in cash and kind from individuals seeking to obtain or maintain oil contracts, which collectively were worth billions of dollars. The National Crime Agency's (NCA) International Corruption Unit Head, Andy Kelly, stated that there were suspicions of her abusing her power in Nigeria and receiving financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.
According to the NCA, the charges against Alison-Madueke detailed benefits such as cash, chauffeur-driven cars, private jet flights, luxury vacations for her family, and the use of multiple properties in London. The charges also included rewards such as furniture, renovations, staff for the properties, payment of private school fees, and gifts from high-end designer shops like Cartier and Louis Vuitton.
Diezani Alison-Madueke has faced corruption allegations since leaving office but has consistently denied the charges. She currently resides in the upscale area of St John’s Wood in west London. She was first arrested in 2015 but later underwent chemotherapy for breast cancer, as reported by her family.
The NCA confirmed that they had frozen assets worth millions of pounds related to the case as part of their investigation. In March, the agency provided evidence to the US Department of Justice, enabling the recovery of assets totaling $53.1 million linked to Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption.
Diezani Alison-Madueke is scheduled to appear again at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on October 2. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had attempted to extradite her, but these efforts were blocked.
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