Diezani Alison‑Madueke, the former Nigerian petroleum minister and ex‑OPEC president, saw the start of her London corruption trial delayed for legal and technical reasons. She faces five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy, related to alleged benefits received between 2011 and 2015. Authorities say those benefits included London property use, luxury goods, private jet travel and £100,000 in cash, and US prosecutors helped recover about $53.1 million in linked assets. Two co‑defendants also face charges; the trial is expected to last 10–12 weeks.
London Corruption Trial Of Ex‑OPEC President Diezani Alison‑Madueke Delayed Over Evidence Dispute
Diezani Alison-Madueke was the first woman president of OPEC, and previously served as Nigeria's oil minister (Henry NICHOLLS)(Henry NICHOLLS/AFP/AFP)
The London corruption trial of Diezani Alison‑Madueke, the former Nigerian minister of petroleum resources and the first female president of OPEC, was delayed on Monday for legal and technical reasons, her lawyers said.
Charges And Allegations
Alison‑Madueke, 65, faces five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery linked to her tenure as Nigeria's minister of petroleum resources between 2010 and 2015. Prosecutors allege she accepted financial or other advantages from people associated with Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical between 2011 and 2015.
Alleged benefits cited in the indictment include:
- Use of multiple London properties, refurbishment work and related staff costs
- Furniture and chauffeur‑driven cars
- Private jet flights, including travel to Nigeria
- £100,000 in cash
- Payments such as school fees for her son and luxury goods from stores like Harrods and Louis Vuitton
Legal Proceedings And Next Steps
Lawyers said the trial may now open on Tuesday after both prosecution and defence teams seek to agree which pieces of evidence will be admitted and to finalise jury selection. Alison‑Madueke appeared last week for preliminary hearings covering technical matters and the start of jury selection. The trial is expected to run 10–12 weeks.
Two co‑defendants, Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also being prosecuted on related bribery charges. Alison‑Madueke has been on bail since her initial arrest in London in October 2015 and has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Asset Recoveries And International Cooperation
The UK National Crime Agency said it provided evidence to US prosecutors that helped recover assets totalling about $53.1 million allegedly linked to Alison‑Madueke. Those recoveries included luxury real estate in California and New York and a 65‑metre superyacht, the Galactica Star, according to the US Department of Justice.
Background
Born in Port Harcourt in 1960 into a relatively well‑off family, Alison‑Madueke trained as an architect in the UK and the United States before joining Shell's Nigerian subsidiary. Her political career included roles as transport minister in 2007 and minister of mines and steel development, before her appointment as minister of petroleum resources in April 2010 under President Goodluck Jonathan. In 2014 she became the first woman to serve as president of OPEC, a position she held for about a year.
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