The London corruption trial of Diezana Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former oil minister and OPEC’s first female president, was postponed on Monday for legal and technical reasons, lawyers said.
The 65-year-old faces five counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, related to her time as Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources between 2010 and 2015, when Goodluck Jonathan was Nigeria’s president.
The trial may not begin until Tuesday, and attorneys said both the prosecution and defense must agree on certain evidence that may or may not be examined during the trial, and to finalize juror selection.
Alison-Madueke is accused of accepting “financial or other benefits” from individuals linked to the Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups between 2011 and 2015.
It included occupancy, renovation work and staff costs at several London properties, furniture, chauffeured cars, a private jet flight to Nigeria and £100,000 ($137,000) in cash.
Other counts in the indictment allege she accepted bribes, including school fees for her son, products from luxury stores such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton, and further flights on a private jet.
Accepting this bribe constituted “improper performance” of her duties as oil minister, according to the indictment.
She appeared in a London court last week for preliminary proceedings, including technical matters and jury selection, ahead of the trial, which is expected to last 10 to 12 weeks.
Two others, Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, were also prosecuted on bribery charges linked to the case.
Alison-Madueke has been out on bail since she was first arrested in London in October 2015. She denied the allegations against her.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) announced that in 2023 she was formally charged with bribery.
– We suspect that Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding contracts worth several million pounds – the NCA said at the time.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
