THE corruption trial of former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was delayed in London today due to legal and technical issues, lawyers involved in the case have said.
Alison-Madueke, 65, a former president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is facing five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
The charges relate to her tenure as petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan. She has denied all the allegations.
According to legal representatives, the trial may not commence until tomorrow, as both the prosecution and defence teams are yet to reach agreement on certain evidence to be presented during the proceedings and to complete the jury selection process.
Prosecutors allege that Alison-Madueke received “financial or other advantages” from individuals linked to the Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups between 2011 and 2015.
These alleged benefits include refurbishment work and staff costs for several London properties, furniture, chauffeur-driven vehicles, a private jet flight to Nigeria, and £100,000 in cash.
Additional charges claim she received other bribes, including the payment of her son’s school fees, luxury goods from high-end retailers such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton, as well as further private jet travel.
Prosecutors say accepting these benefits amounted to an improper performance of her duties as oil minister.
Alison-Madueke appeared in a London court last week for preliminary hearings, including technical matters and jury selection, ahead of the trial, which is expected to last between 10 and 12 weeks. Two other individuals, Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also facing bribery charges connected to the case.
She has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015. In 2023, the UK’s National Crime Agency formally charged her, alleging that she abused her position by accepting financial rewards in exchange for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.
That same year, the agency said it provided evidence to US authorities, leading to the recovery of assets worth $53.1 million allegedly linked to the case.
The recovered assets reportedly include luxury properties in California and New York, as well as a 65-metre superyacht.
Born in Port Harcourt in 1960, Alison-Madueke studied architecture in the United Kingdom and the United States before joining Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary.
She later served as transport minister, minister of mines and steel development, and was appointed minister of petroleum resources in 2010.
In 2014, she became the first woman to serve as president of OPEC, a position she held for about a year.