How Diezani Allegedly Collected Bribes While Serving As Oil Minister

How Diezani Allegedly Collected Bribes While Serving As Oil Minister
Court hears details of cash payments, jets, properties, and luxury goods.
Trial expected to conclude by April 24 in London.

British prosecutors on Tuesday accused former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison Madueke, of living a life of luxury allegedly funded by bribes collected while she was in public office.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Alison Madueke, 65, the first woman to serve as president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, appeared at the Southwark Crown Court in London on the opening day of her long anticipated trial.

The former minister is facing multiple counts of bribery said to have occurred between 2011 and 2015, during her tenure as Nigeria’s petroleum minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Prosecutors told the court that individuals seeking lucrative oil and gas contracts with Nigeria’s state owned oil company offered Alison Madueke significant financial and material benefits.

They said, “As a minister, she should not have accepted benefits from those who were doing, no doubt extremely lucrative, business in oil and gas with government owned entities.”

According to the prosecution, Alison Madueke allegedly received benefits from individuals connected to the Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups.

Both companies were said to have secured contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation or its subsidiaries while she was in office.

The court heard that the former minister allegedly received one hundred thousand pounds in cash, chauffeur driven vehicles, private jet flights to Nigeria, and refurbishment works, including staff costs, at several London properties.

Prosecutors further alleged that she accepted bribes in the form of school fees for her son, luxury goods from retailers such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton, and additional private jet travel.

Alison Madueke, who led OPEC between 2014 and 2015, has been linked to several legal proceedings in different jurisdictions, including the United States.

In Nigeria, courts ordered the seizure of multiple properties connected to her in 2017, with assets valued at several million dollars.

Confirming the situation, a spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said the agency still had “some subsisting cases against her,” without giving further details.

The former minister has remained on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015 and has consistently denied all allegations against her.

How Diezani Allegedly Collected Bribes While Serving As Oil Minister

She was formally charged in 2023, when the UK National Crime Agency said, “We suspect Diezani Alison Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi million pound contracts.”

Two other defendants, Doye Agama, described as her brother, and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also standing trial on bribery charges related to the case.

Prosecutors said all three defendants had British addresses at the time the alleged offences were committed.

The presiding judge, Justice Justine Thornton, said the trial is expected to end on April 24.