By John Chuks Azu
Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been acquitted of all six bribery charges brought against her in the United Kingdom following a lengthy trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.
A jury on Wednesday returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts after deliberating for 46 hours, bringing to an end a 12-week trial that centred on allegations of corruption during her time in office between 2010 and 2015.
Alison-Madueke, who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan, had consistently denied wrongdoing throughout the proceedings.
British prosecutors alleged that she received a range of benefits from oil and gas industry figures in exchange for using her position to grant favourable treatment in relation to contracts and business interests in Nigeria.
According to the prosecution, the former minister lived a lavish lifestyle funded by illicit benefits, including £100,000 in cash, more than £2 million spent on luxury goods at Harrods, £4.6 million for property renovations, private jet travel, chauffeur-driven vehicles and payments for domestic staff at high-end properties in London and Buckinghamshire.
The court heard that the alleged benefits were provided between 2011 and 2015 while Alison-Madueke was serving as Nigeria’s petroleum minister.
The former minister was tried alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother, Doye Agama.
Ayinde faced two bribery-related charges, including one connected to Alison-Madueke and another involving the alleged bribery of a foreign public official. Agama was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery over payments allegedly linked to his church.
Both men denied the allegations.
The trial was presided over by Justice Justine Thornton. Had Alison-Madueke been convicted under the UK Bribery Act, she could have faced up to 10 years in prison, in addition to an unlimited fine.
The verdict marks the conclusion of one of the most closely watched corruption cases involving a former Nigerian public official in a British court.