JUST IN: UK Court Acquits Diezani of Six Bribery Charges

‎By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was on Wednesday acquitted of all six bribery charges brought against her by a United Kingdom court following a 12-week trial at the Southwark Crown Court in London.

The 65-year-old former minister, who served in the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan between 2010 and 2015, was found not guilty after a jury deliberated for 46 hours. The charges comprised five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

UK prosecutors had alleged that Alison-Madueke received gifts and financial benefits from oil and gas industry figures seeking preferential treatment in the award of contracts in Nigeria during her tenure as petroleum minister.

According to the prosecution, the alleged benefits included £100,000 in cash, more than £2 million spent on luxury shopping at Harrods, £4.6 million used for property refurbishments, private jet travel, chauffeur-driven vehicles and payments for household staff at luxury homes in London and Buckinghamshire.

However, testifying in her defence during the trial, Alison-Madueke denied requesting or accepting bribes, insisting that she neither abused her office nor solicited favours from industry players. Her lawyers argued that the allegations were politically motivated and that investigators had mischaracterised payments and benefits linked to her.

The trial, presided over by Justice Justine Thornton, examined allegations dating between 2011 and 2015. Had she been convicted under UK anti-bribery laws, the former minister faced a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

1. Alison-Madueke was tried alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, and her brother, Doye Agama, 69. Ayinde faced two bribery-related charges, while Agama was accused of conspiracy to commit bribery over alleged payments connected to his church.

Both men denied the allegations and were also acquitted by the jury, bringing the high-profile corruption trial to a close.