Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Appears in UK Court Over £100,000 Bribe Allegation.
LONDON, United Kingdom – Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, appeared before the Westminster Magistrates Court in the United Kingdom on Monday, facing allegations of accepting a £100,000 bribe.
District Judge Michael Snow presided over the hearing and granted Alison-Madueke bail, setting it at £70,000. The judge also imposed several conditions on her, including an 11 pm to 6 am curfew, the requirement to wear an electronic tag at all times, and a £70,000 surety to be paid before leaving the court building.
During her appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court, Alison-Madueke provided her name, date of birth, and address. Although she did not formally enter a plea, her attorney, Mark Bowen, informed the court that she would plead not guilty, as reported by Reuters.
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The next court appearance for Diezani Alison-Madueke is scheduled for October 30 at Southwark Crown Court, which handles serious criminal cases.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) had previously stated in August that it suspected Alison-Madueke of accepting bribes in exchange for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts. In a statement on its website, the NCA alleged that she had benefited from at least £100,000 in cash, luxury items, and services, including chauffeur-driven cars, private jet flights, and family vacations.
The charges against her also detail financial rewards such as furniture, property renovation, private school fees, and gifts from high-end designer shops like Cartier and Louis Vuitton.
In March 2023, the NCA provided evidence to the US Department of Justice that led to the recovery of assets totaling USD 53.1 million linked to Diezani’s alleged corruption.
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Andy Kelly, the head of the NCA’s international corruption unit, stated, “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.”
Diezani Alison-Madueke had previously faced legal issues in the UK when she and four others were arrested in October 2015 over alleged bribery and money laundering offenses. She was granted bail but had her passport seized, and she was required to report to the Charing Cross police station.
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Diezani Alison-Madueke served as the Minister of Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria had alleged that she embezzled $2.5 billion from the Nigerian government during her tenure as minister.
