Diezani Alison-Madueke to appear in UK court for bribery charges

Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria, is scheduled to appear in a court in the UK on October 2nd to face bribery charges related to her time in office, according to the UK National Crime Agency (NCA). This comes after British authorities provided evidence to US prosecutors leading to the recovery of $53.1 million in assets allegedly linked to her earlier this year.

Alison-Madueke was arrested in London in October 2015 and has been on bail since then. Her arrest was in connection to corruption allegations that have followed her during and after her tenure in the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Allegations of money laundering, bribery, and asset recovery cases have been connected to Alison-Madueke in Nigeria, Italy, and the United States. She has consistently denied these charges, once challenging anyone to provide evidence showing that she stole government funds.

Alison-Madueke, who served as Minister of Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015, was the first woman to hold the position in Nigeria and also the first female president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

According to the NCA, Alison-Madueke is suspected of abusing her power in Nigeria and accepting financial rewards in exchange for awarding multi-million-pound contracts. The charges against her detail benefits such as cash, luxury holidays, the use of multiple London properties, and gifts from designer shops.