Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, will appear in court in the British capital on October 2 after being charged with bribery offences relating to her time in office, the UK National Crime Agency said.
Recall that earlier this year, British authorities said they had provided evidence to US prosecutors allowing them to recover $53.1 million in assets allegedly linked to her.
The head of the NCA’s international corruption unit, Andy Kelly, said, “We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.”
The NCA said Alison-Madueke allegedly benefitted from at least £100,000 ($127,000) in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, flights on private jets, luxury holidays for her family and the use of multiple London properties.
The charges also detail financial rewards including furniture, renovation work and staff for the properties, payment of private school fees and gifts from top designer shops such as Cartier jewellery and Louis Vuitton goods.
“Bribery is a pervasive form of corruption, which enables serious criminality and can have devastating consequences for developing countries,” Kelly said.
“These charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation,” he added.
Alison-Madueke has been living in the upmarket St John’s Wood area of north London since she was first arrested and has undergone chemotherapy for breast cancer, according to her family.
