Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister Pleaded Not Guilty to Charges

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

Former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke on Thursday at her London corruption trial pleaded not guilty to five counts of accepting bribes and a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Prosecutors say Alison-Madueke “enjoyed a life of luxury” in London, with oil and gas industry figures having provided the use of high-end properties and given her lavish gifts to try and influence the awarding of lucrative contracts.

But her lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw told jurors at London’s Southwark Crown Court that purchases were made on Alison-Madueke’s behalf “because Nigerian ministers are forbidden from having bank accounts abroad”.

He also said Alison-Madueke, 65, disputes the extent to which properties were provided for her use and the amounts of goods she received, but that “all that was spent on her personally, in one way or another, was reimbursed”.

Laidlaw said personal expenses were repaid by Alison-Madueke in Nigeria and expenses relating to official business were “reimbursed from government coffers”, meaning Alison-Madueke received no financial advantage.