Former Petroleum Minister, Diezani, Charged to Court docket over Bribery Allegations

Former Minister of Petroleum Assets, Diezani Alison-Madueke, appeared earlier than a UK Court docket on Monday.

The ex-minister, who was charged with receiving bribes within the type of money, luxurious items, flights on non-public jets and the usage of high-end properties in Britain in return for awarding oil contracts, was arraigned at Westminster Magistrates’ Court docket.

In response to Reuters, she spoke solely to provide her identify, date of beginning and deal with.

She was not requested to formally enter a plea, though her lawyer Mark Bowen advised the court docket she can be pleading not responsible.

The fees in opposition to her, learn out in court docket, all associated to occasions alleged to have taken place in London.

Alison-Madueke, 63, was a key determine within the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

She served as petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 and likewise acted as president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Nations (OPEC).

Prosecutor Andy Younger stated she was alleged to have accepted a variety of benefits in money and in sort from individuals who needed to obtain or proceed to obtain the award of oil contracts which he stated had been value billions of {dollars} in complete.

“We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her energy in Nigeria and accepted monetary rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts,” stated Andy Kelly, Head of the Nationwide Crime Company’s (NCA) Worldwide Corruption Unit.

“These costs are a milestone in what has been an intensive and complicated worldwide investigation.”

The NCA stated Alison-Madueke was accused of benefitting from at the least 100,000 kilos in money, chauffeur pushed automobiles, flights on non-public jets, luxurious holidays for her household, and the usage of a number of London properties.

Costs in opposition to her additionally element monetary rewards together with furnishings, renovation work and workers for the properties, fee of personal faculty charges, and presents from high-end designer retailers similar to Cartier jewelry and Louis Vuitton items, the NCA stated.

Since she left workplace she has been dogged by corruption allegations however denied the fees.

British police stated she was presently residing in St John’s Wooden, an upmarket space of West London.

She was first arrested in 2015, however underwent chemotherapy for breast most cancers, in response to her household.

On the time of her arrest, the NCA stated solely it had detained 5 folks in London on suspicion of worldwide corruption, with out naming these held.

The NCA stated that property value hundreds of thousands of kilos in relation to the case have been frozen as a part of the investigation.

In March, the company, which targets worldwide and organised crime, supplied proof to the US Division of Justice permitting them to get well property totalling $53.1 million linked to Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption.

Diezani is anticipated to seem at Westminster Magistrates’ Court docket on October 2.

The Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) had made many strikes to extradite her however its request was blocked.

She is the second high-profile Nigerian politician to face prosecution in Britain lately, following James Ibori, a former state governor who was convicted of fraud and money-laundering in 2012 and acquired a 13-year jail sentence.