The jury in the bribery trial of Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, began deliberations on Monday after nearly four months of proceedings at Southwark Crown Court.
Mrs Alison-Madueke, who served as petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, has pleaded not guilty to five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
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Prosecutors allege that the 65-year-old former minister lived what they described as a “life of luxury” in London, where she was allegedly provided with high-end properties to stay in and taken on luxury shopping trips by industry figures seeking favourable access to lucrative oil and gas contracts.
In her defence against some of the allegations, Mrs Alison-Madueke told the court that she had “tried to push back on corruption” in Nigeria, which she described as a longstanding challenge dating back to the colonial era.
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Her lawyers also argued that she merely acted as a “rubber stamp” for official recommendations and did not personally solicit or receive bribes.
“At no time did I ask, take, or seek a bribe or bribes of any sort,” Mrs Alison-Madueke told the jury during her testimony last month.
She is standing trial alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who faces one count of bribery relating to Mrs Alison-Madueke and another separate count of bribing a foreign public official.
Also charged is her 69-year-old brother, Doye Agama, who is accused of conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with his church.
Both Mr Ayinde and Mr Agama have denied the charges.
Spending allegations
In January, PREMIUM TIMES reported how Nigerian oil contractors allegedly funded Mrs Alison-Madueke’s lavish lifestyle in the United Kingdom.
Prosecutors alleged that several Nigerian businessmen financed luxury expenses on her behalf, including more than £2 million at Harrods and about £4.6 million on property refurbishments in London and Buckinghamshire.
READ ALSO: How Diezani Alison-Madueke’s ‘lavish’ UK life was funded by Nigerian oil contractors – Prosecutor
According to the prosecution, some of the purchases were made using payment cards linked to Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko and his company, Tenka Limited.
The case also includes allegations that she had access to luxury properties, including a £2.8 million home in Marylebone and residences overlooking Regent’s Park, as well as what prosecutors described as a “grand” home in Buckinghamshire.
Following a trial that opened in late January, Reuters reported that the jury was sent out shortly before 11:30 a.m. GMT on Monday to consider its verdict on the eight charges against the defendants.
