Jonathan Laidlaw, counsel to Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former minister of petroleum resources, has told a UK court that his client had no real influence over the award of oil and gas contracts while in office.
Gatekeepers News reports that addressing jurors at the Southwark Crown Court in London on Thursday, Laidlaw said Alison-Madueke merely acted on recommendations from civil servants and functioned as a “rubber stamp” in the approval process.
Alison-Madueke served as petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan. She is currently on trial on five counts of alleged bribery and has pleaded not guilty.
Earlier in the week, British prosecutors alleged that the former minister accepted bribes in the form of luxury goods and access to high-end properties from industry figures seeking oil contracts in Nigeria.
Prosecutor Alexandra Healy told the court that Alison-Madueke “enjoyed a life of luxury in London,” allegedly funded by individuals with commercial interests in Nigeria’s oil sector.
However, Laidlaw said her ministerial role was limited to formally signing off on contracts awarded by the federal government.
He urged the jury to consider whether Alison-Madueke had “any ability to exercise influence over who was awarded these contracts, or whether she was simply approving recommendations made by her civil servants”.
Addressing allegations about luxury purchases in the UK, Laidlaw said the items were bought on Alison-Madueke’s behalf because Nigerian ministers are prohibited from operating foreign bank accounts.
He added that personal expenses incurred during overseas trips were repaid by Alison-Madueke on her return to Nigeria, while costs linked to official duties were reimbursed by the government.
The lawyer also argued that standards of luxury differ across countries, telling jurors that what may be regarded as extravagant in the UK is not necessarily perceived the same way in Nigeria.
The trial continues.
