A British court on Wednesday acquitted former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke of all bribery charges after a high-profile corruption trial that lasted several weeks.
Jurors at Southwark Crown Court in London found Alison-Madueke, 65, not guilty on five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery following more than 46 hours of deliberations.
The former minister, who served under ex-president Goodluck Jonathan between 2010 and 2015, had consistently denied the allegations.
British prosecutors accused Alison-Madueke of receiving lavish benefits from oil and gas industry figures seeking favourable treatment and lucrative contracts in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
They alleged she enjoyed a luxury lifestyle in Britain funded by businessmen who hoped to influence government decisions and contract awards during her tenure as one of Africa’s most powerful oil officials.
The prosecution claimed several Nigerian businessmen financed expenses on her behalf, including more than £2 million ($2.7 million) spent at luxury department store Harrods and about £4.6 million used to refurbish properties in London and Buckinghamshire.
According to prosecutors, some purchases were made using payment cards linked to Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko and his company, Tenka Limited.
The case also centred on allegations that Alison-Madueke had access to several luxury properties, including a £2.8 million home in London’s Marylebone district and residences overlooking Regent’s Park.
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During the trial, Alison-Madueke rejected all accusations, insisting she never solicited or received bribes and did not abuse her public office.
She told the court that expenses incurred on her behalf during official engagements were reimbursed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and that a logistics company had been established in London to manage official arrangements.
“I can state categorically that at no point did I ask for, take or receive a bribe of any sort,” she said during the proceedings.
The verdict represents a major setback for British authorities, whose investigation into the former minister’s activities spanned more than a decade.
Alison-Madueke was one of the most influential figures in Nigeria’s oil industry and also served as president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) between 2014 and 2015.
She relocated to Britain after Jonathan’s defeat in Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election.
Although cleared in the UK case, Alison-Madueke still faces separate corruption-related proceedings in Nigeria, where courts have ordered the forfeiture of assets worth billions of naira allegedly linked to her.
The acquittal brings to a close one of the most closely watched international corruption trials involving a former Nigerian public official.
