Breaking: Former Powerful Nigerian Minister Charged For Bribery In UK

A former Nigerian minister of petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke has been charged with bribery in the United Kingdom following extensive investigations by the country’s National Crime Agency investigation.

GWG.ng reports that Alison-Madueke, aged 63, who also served as president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), was a prominent figure in the Goodluck Jonathan administration between 2010 and 2015.

The NCA alleges that Alison-Madueke accepted bribes while she was minister in of petroleum in exchange for awarding multi-million pound oil and gas contracts.

The NCA alleges that she received at least £100,000 in cash, chauffeur driven cars, flights on private jets, luxury holidays for her family, and the use of multiple London properties.

Alison-Madueke currently lives in St John’s Wood, London, having relocated from Nigeria just before President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in 2015.

Andy Kelly, Head of the NCA’s International Corruption Unit (ICU), said: “We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million pound contracts.

“These charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation.

“Bribery is a pervasive form of corruption, which enables serious criminality and can have devastating consequences for developing countries. We will continue to work with partners here and overseas to tackle the threat.”

Assets worth millions of pounds relating to the alleged bribery and other offences linked to Alison-Madueke have already been frozen as part of the ongoing investigation.

It would be recalled that the NCA last March provided evidence to the US Department of Justice that enabled US authorities recover assets totalling USD$53.1m linked to Diezani Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption.

Andrew Penhale, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the NCA to charge Diezani Alison-Madueke with bribery offences.

“The CPS made the decision to authorise the charge after reviewing a file of evidence from the NCA relating to allegations of bribery in Nigeria.

“Criminal proceedings against Ms Alison-Madueke are active and she has the right to a fair trial.

“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.

“The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider.”

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