Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Nigerian minister of petroleum resources, has shown up for the preliminary hearing of her bribery trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has filed six bribery accusations against Alison-Madueke, the first female president of OPEC who served from 2010 to 2015. She has refuted every accusation.
The 65-year-old was officially charged in 2023 with receiving bribes between 2011 and 2015. She has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015. According to the NCA, she exploited her influence in Nigeria to grant contracts worth millions of pounds in exchange for cash.
She received advantages totaling at least £100,000, including cash, private jet trips, chauffeur-driven automobiles, and access to London apartments, according to the indictment. Luxurious furniture, restorations, property personnel, private school fees, and designer presents from companies like Louis Vuitton are among the other benefits mentioned.
The study is anticipated to start on January 26, 2026, and run for ten to twelve weeks. Olatimbo Ayinde and Doye Agama, two other people connected to the case, are also accused of bribery; Ayinde is in court, while Agama appears by video link.
