In connection with an alleged £100,000 bribe, Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former minister of petroleum resources, appeared before the Westminster Magistrates Court in the United Kingdom on Monday.
Alison-Madueke was given a £70,000 bail by district judge Michael Snow.
Additional conditions that Snow imposed on Alison-Madueke included a curfew of 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., the wearing of an electronic tag at all times, and the payment of a £70,000 surety before she was allowed to leave the courthouse.
She gave her name, date of birth, and address during her court appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court.
She did not formally enter a plea, but her lawyer, Mark Bowen, told the court that she would enter a not-guilty plea, according to Reuters.
On October 30, she will make another court appearance at Southwark Crown Court, which handles serious criminal cases.
The UK’s National Crime Agency reportedly stated in August that it suspected Diezani had accepted bribes in exchange for awarding multimillion dollar oil and gas contracts, according to The PUNCH.
According to a statement on its website, Diezani “is alleged to have benefited from at least £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, flights on private jets, luxury vacations for her family, and the use of multiple London properties.
“Her allegations also include financial benefits such as furniture, staffing for property renovations and upkeep, tuition payments for private schools, and gifts from upscale designer stores like Louis Vuitton products and Cartier jewelry. “.
The US Department of Justice was able to recoup assets worth USD 53.1 million connected to Diezan’s alleged corruption in March 2023 thanks to information the NCA gave to them.
“Charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation,” said Andy Kelly, head of the NCA’s international corruption unit. Bribery is a widespread type of corruption that fosters serious crime and can have disastrous effects on developing nations. To address the threat, we will continue to collaborate with local and international partners, Kelly continued.
Diezani and four other people were detained in the UK in October 2015 for alleged money laundering and bribery offenses.
In the UK, Diezani was granted bail by a magistrate court; however, her passport was taken away and she was told to report to Charing Cross police station.
Between 2010 and 2015, Diezani served as the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s minister of petroleum resources.
In 2015, she left the country just before President Goodluck Jonathan was succeeded by President Muhammadu Buhari.
During her time as a minister, the former minister is accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of stealing $2.15 billion from the Nigerian government.
