UK court clears former minister Diezani of bribery charges

Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been acquitted of all six bribery charges by a London jury, bringing to an end one of the United Kingdom’s most high-profile foreign corruption trials after more than a decade of investigations.

According to Reuters, the verdict, delivered on Wednesday at Southwark Crown Court, marks a significant setback for British prosecutors and the National Crime Agency (NCA), which launched its investigation into the former minister over allegations that she accepted lavish benefits from oil and gas executives seeking lucrative contracts in Nigeria.

Alison-Madueke, 65, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, had been charged with five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Prosecutors alleged that the former minister enjoyed a life of luxury in London, with private jet flights, luxury accommodation, expensive gifts and other benefits allegedly funded by businessmen hoping to secure favourable treatment in Nigeria’s oil sector.

However, Alison-Madueke consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that she never accepted bribes and did not exercise direct control over the award of oil contracts.

During the months-long trial, her defence argued that many of the expenses highlighted by prosecutors were either reimbursed by the Nigerian government for official duties or personally repaid by Alison-Madueke.

She also described herself in court as “Madame Due Process,” insisting that she was known for promoting transparency in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

After more than 46 hours of deliberation, the jury returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on all counts.

The ICIR reports that the allegations she was cleared of in the UK court differed from those previously made by the United State Department of Justice, which in a 2017 civil forfeiture case alleged that she used her official influence to steer valuable oil contracts to executives who allegedly paid her bribes and laundered proceeds through the United States.

Those allegations were not part of the criminal proceedings heard in the UK.

In a statement following the judgment, Alison-Madueke’s legal team said the former minister was grateful to the jury after enduring the ordeal of being separated from her family for over 11 years.

“She is finally allowed to resume her private and public life with her reputation restored and enhanced,” the statement read in part.

The London jury also cleared 54-year-old oil industry executive, Olatimbo Ayinde, Alison-Madueke’s co-defendant who faced one count of bribery and another count of bribing a foreign public official.

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Her 69-year-old brother, Doye Agama, who had been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery over payments allegedly made to his church, was likewise acquitted.

Both men had denied all allegations throughout the trial.

Alison-Madueke has remained one of Nigeria’s most controversial public officials since leaving office in 2015 following the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

During and after her tenure, she faced numerous investigations in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States over allegations of corruption linked to the management of Nigeria’s oil industry.

The former minister also served briefly as president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), becoming the first woman to lead the influential oil producers’ group.

According to Reuters, the acquittal represents a significant legal victory for Alison-Madueke and a notable setback for British authorities, whose investigation had become one of the UK’s most prominent international anti-corruption cases.

The verdict, however, does not erase years of corruption allegations that have surrounded the former minister in multiple jurisdictions, nor does it affect separate civil asset recovery efforts pursued by authorities outside the United Kingdom.

Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.