The British police will on October 2 arraigns the former minister of petroleum in Nigeria, Diezani Alison-Madueke with one hundred thousand pounds bribery offences.
British police said they had charged former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, with bribery offences, saying they suspected she had accepted bribes in return for awarding multi-million-pounds oil and gas contracts, Reuters reported.
The 63-year-old ex-minister served during the administration of former Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan, from 2010 to 2015.
She also served as president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.
The Head of the National Crime Agency, NCA, an International Corruption Unit of the British police, Andy Kelly said Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.
He noted that the charges are a milestone in a thorough and complex international investigation.
The NCA said Alison-Madueke was accused of benefitting from at least 100,000 pounds in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, flights on private jets, luxury holidays for her family, and the use of multiple London properties.
Charges against her also detail financial rewards including furniture, renovation work, and staff for the properties, payment of private school fees, and gifts from high-end designer shops such as Cartier jewelry and Louis Vuitton goods, the NCA said.
British police said she lived in St John’s Wood, an up-market area of West London, and would appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on October 2, 2023.
Alison-Madueke who’s being probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission since she left office, has been dogged by corruption allegations but denies the charges.
In October 2022, Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the final forfeiture of two Abuja properties and two luxury cars belonging to Alison-Madueke, to the Federal Government.
The two properties are located at Plot 1854 Mohammed Mahashir Street and No. 6, Aso Drive in Abuja’s highbrow Asokoro and Maitama Districts, respectively, and are valued at $2,674,418 and N380m.
The luxury cars are a black BMW saloon with chassis number B8CV54V66629, registration number RBC155 DH, and a black Jaguar saloon with chassis number SAJAA.20 GRDMv43376, valued at N36m.
The judge gave the order forfeiting the assets to the Federal Government while ruling on the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in Suit No. 1122/2021 and Suit No. 1123/2021, asking for the final forfeiture of the assets.
