A former Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been charged before Westminster Magistrate’s Court in London on Monday morning with bribery offenses following an investigation by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
NCA leads the UK’s fight to cut serious and organized crime, protecting the public by targeting and pursuing criminals who pose the greatest risk to the UK.
Diezani Alison-Madueke, aged 63, who also served as president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), was a key figure in President Goodluck Jonathan-led government between 2010 and 2015.
According to NCA, Diezani accepted bribes during her time as Minister for Petroleum Resources in exchange for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts.
She was alleged to have benefitted from at least £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, flights on private jets, luxury holidays for her family, and the use of multiple London properties.
Her charges also detailed financial rewards, including furniture, renovation work and staff for the properties, payment of private school fees, and gifts from high-end designer shops such as Cartier jewelry and Louis Vuitton goods.
Aliso-Madueke, who currently lives in St John’s Wood, London, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday, October 2, 2023.
LEADERSHIP had on August 22 reported the Head of the NCA’s International Corruption Unit (ICU), Andy Kelly, saying: “We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.
“These charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation.
“Bribery is a pervasive form of corruption, which enables serious criminality and can have devastating consequences for developing countries. We will continue to work with partners here and overseas to tackle the threat.”
Assets worth millions of pounds relating to the alleged offenses have already been frozen as part of the ongoing investigation.
In March this year, the NCA also provided evidence to the US Department of Justice that enabled them to recover assets totaling $53.1m linked to Diezani Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption.
ICU officers have also worked closely with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of Nigeria during the investigation, as well as with the NCA-hosted International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre.
The IACCC brings together specialist anti-corruption investigators from agencies around the world to tackle allegations of corruption involving politically exposed people. It is currently working in 37 different jurisdictions.
Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS, Andrew Penhale, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorized the NCA to charge Diezani Alison-Madueke with bribery offences.
“The CPS decided to authorize the charge after reviewing a file of evidence from the NCA relating to allegations of bribery in Nigeria.
“Criminal proceedings against Ms Alison-Madueke are active and she has the right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary, or sharing of information which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.
“The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offense, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider.”
Michael Snow, the district judge, granted Alison-Madueke a £70,000 bail.
Snow however imposed other terms on Alison-Madueke including an 11 pm to 6 am curfew, an electronic tag to be worn at all times and a 70,000-pound surety to be paid before she could leave the court building.
Her next court appearance will be at Southwark Crown Court, which deals with serious criminal cases, on October 30.
A source reported that the ex-minister was charged alongside her brother and Timbo Ayinde, an oil businessman.
During today’s proceedings, Alison-Madueke gave her name, date of birth, and address.
She was not asked to formally enter a plea, although Mark Bowen, her lawyer, told the court that she would be pleading not guilty.
Andy Kelly, head of the NCA’s international corruption unit (ICU), said the “charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation”.
“Bribery is a pervasive form of corruption, which enables serious criminality and can have devastating consequences for developing countries. We will continue to work with partners here and overseas to tackle the threat,” Kelly added.
In October 2015, Diezani and four other persons were arrested in the UK over alleged bribery and money laundering offences.
A magistrate court in the UK granted Diezani bail but her passport was seized while she was asked to report at the Charing Cross police station.
Diezani was the minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Shortly before Jonathan handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, she left the country.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that the former minister stole $2.5 billion from the Nigerian government while she was a minister.