Former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been charged with bribery in the United Kingdom.
According to Reuters, British police said they had charged her with bribery offences, saying they suspected she had accepted bribes in return for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts.
According to Daily trust, The 63-year-old Alison-Madueke played a significant role in former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government.
She presided over the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) while serving as petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015.
According to Andy Kelly, Head of the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) International Corruption Unit, “We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million dollar contracts.”
These accusations mark a turning point in a lengthy and intricate multinational inquiry.
According to the NCA, Alison-Madueke was accused of receiving at least 100,000 pounds in cash, a fleet of chauffeur-driven cars, private jet travel, opulent vacations for her family, and access to numerous houses in London.
According to the NCA, the charges against her also include financial benefits such as furnishings, employees for property renovations, payment of private school tuition, and gifts from upscale luxury stores including Louis Vuitton products and Cartier jewels.
Daily trust report that, She has faced numerous claims of corruption after leaving office, although she has always refuted them.
She was reportedly residing in the west London neighbourhood of St. John’s Wood, according to British authorities.
She was initially detained in 2015, however her family reports that she had chemotherapy for breast cancer.
When she was arrested, the NCA stated anonymously that it had only detained five persons in London on suspicion of participating in international corruption.
Millions of pounds’ worth of assets connected to the case, according to the NCA, have been frozen as part of the inquiry.
Targeting transnational and organised crime, the CIA in March gave the US Department of Justice information that enabled them to collect $53.1 million in assets related to Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption.
On October 2, Diezani is anticipated to show up before Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Despite numerous attempts, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was unable to extradite the woman.
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