DIEZANI ALISON-MADUEKE’S LONDON CORRUPTION TRIAL DELAYED OVER LEGAL, TECHNICAL ISSUES
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Agency Report
The corruption trial of former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was delayed on Monday in London due to legal and technical issues, according to lawyers involved in the case.
Alison-Madueke, 65, who made history as the first female president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is facing five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. The charges relate to her tenure as Nigeria’s petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Lawyers said the trial may not commence until Tuesday, as both the prosecution and defence teams are still required to agree on the admissibility of certain evidence and finalise the selection of jurors. The proceedings are expected to last between 10 and 12 weeks once they begin.
The former minister is accused of receiving “financial or other advantages” from individuals connected to Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups between 2011 and 2015. The alleged benefits include refurbishment work, staff costs at multiple London properties, furniture, chauffeur-driven vehicles, private jet flights to Nigeria, and £100,000 (about $137,000) in cash.
Additional counts allege that Alison-Madueke received bribes in the form of her son’s school fees, luxury goods from high-end retailers such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton, and further private jet flights. Prosecutors contend that accepting these benefits amounted to the improper performance of her duties as oil minister.
Alison-Madueke appeared in court last week for preliminary proceedings, which included technical matters and jury selection. Two other defendants, Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also standing trial on related bribery charges.
She has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015 and has consistently denied all allegations against her.
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In 2023, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) formally charged Alison-Madueke, alleging that she abused her position to accept financial rewards in exchange for awarding multi-million-pound oil contracts. The same year, the NCA said it provided evidence to United States prosecutors that led to the recovery of assets valued at $53.1 million, including luxury properties in California and New York and a 65-metre superyacht, Galactica Star.
Born in Port Harcourt in 1960, Alison-Madueke studied architecture in the United Kingdom and the United States before joining Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary. She later held several ministerial positions, including Transport Minister and Minister of Mines and Steel Development, before her appointment as Minister of Petroleum Resources in 2010. In 2014, she became OPEC’s first female president, a position she held for about one year.
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