The corruption trial of former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke in London was delayed on Monday due to legal and technical issues, lawyers have confirmed.
Gatekeepers News reports that the 65-year-old, who served as Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources between 2010 and 2015 under then-President Goodluck Jonathan, faces five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. She is also the first woman to have served as president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Lawyers said the trial may not begin until Tuesday as both prosecution and defence teams must agree on evidence to be examined during the proceedings and finalise the selection of jurors.
Alison-Madueke is accused of receiving “financial or other advantages” from individuals linked to the Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups between 2011 and 2015.
According to the indictment, the alleged benefits included refurbishment work and staff costs at several London properties, furniture, chauffeur-driven cars, a private jet flight to Nigeria, and £100,000 ($137,000) in cash.
Other counts allege she received school fees for her son, luxury goods from high-end retailers such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton, as well as additional private jet flights. Prosecutors said accepting these benefits amounted to the “improper performance” of her duties as oil minister.
She appeared in a London court last week for preliminary proceedings, including technical matters and jury selection. The trial is expected to last between 10 and 12 weeks.
Two other defendants, Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also facing bribery charges linked to the case.
‘Abuse of power’
Alison-Madueke has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015 and has denied all charges against her.
In 2023, she was formally charged, with the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) alleging that she abused her office.
“We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts,” the NCA said.
Earlier in 2023, the agency said it had provided evidence to US prosecutors that helped recover assets worth $53.1 million linked to the alleged corruption. These included luxury properties in California and New York, as well as a 65-metre superyacht, Galactica Star, according to the US Department of Justice.
Background
Born in 1960 in Port Harcourt, Alison-Madueke studied architecture in Britain and the United States before joining Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary.
She later entered politics, serving as Minister of Transport in 2007 under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and later as Minister of Mines and Steel Development.
When Goodluck Jonathan became president, he appointed her Minister of Petroleum Resources in April 2010. In 2014, she became the first female president of OPEC, a position she held for about one year.
Source: AFP
