Diezani Alison-Madueke FACES Bribery Charges in London

Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Monday, appeared in a London court over charges of receiving bribes in the form of cash, flights on private jets, luxury goods and the use of high-end properties in Britain in return for awarding oil contracts.

Making her first court appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court, Alison-Madueke spoke only to give her name, date of birth and address.

The 62-year-old was not asked to enter a plea.

The charges against her, read out in court, all related to events alleged to have taken place in London during her time as a minister in Nigeria.

Prosecutor, Andy Young alleged that Alison-Madueke accepted a wide range of advantages in cash and in-kind from people who wanted to receive or continue to receive the award of oil contracts which he said were worth billions of dollars in total.

This is coming a few weeks after the former finance minister in Nigeria was charged with bribery offences by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA).

Alison-Madueke was arrested in London in 2015, shortly after stepping down as minister. She has spent the past eight years on police bail.

Madueke becomes the second high-profile Nigerian politician to face prosecution in Britain in recent years, following James Ibori, a former Delta State governor.