A jury at Southwark Crown Court in London has acquitted former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, of all six bribery-related charges and brought to an end over a decade-long corruption case.
The jury discharged her of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery after deliberating for over 46 hours, effectively closing an investigation that spanned over 11 years.
The verdict comes as a significant setback for British prosecutors and the National Crime Agency (NCA), which launched investigations into allegations against the former Nigerian minister over 11 years ago.
Alison-Madueke, 65, who served as petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, had been accused of receiving luxury gifts and benefits from oil industry executives seeking influence over lucrative contracts in the Nigerian oil sector.
Local media reports stated that the prosecutors alleged she enjoyed a “life of luxury” funded by businessmen with interests in the Nigerian petroleum industry, including items such as luxury travel, furniture, handbags and other high-value benefits.
But Alison-Madueke consistently denied all the allegations throughout the trial, insisting that she never received bribes or used her office to favour any individual or company.
The reports quoted the former Nigerian minister as testifying in her defence that she did not solicit meetings with oil executives and that many of the interactions and travel arrangements referenced by the prosecutors were initiated by others, not herself.
She also stated that she was undergoing cancer treatment during parts of the period under review, adding that her health affected her memory of certain events.
According to the former minister, she was not responsible for logistical arrangements such as travel and accommodation, which she were handled by government agencies, particularly the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
GIK/APA