By Steve Swann
Southwark Crown Cour
More than £2m was spent at Harrods on behalf of a former Nigerian oil minister accused of accepting bribes from business figures seeking government contracts, a London court has heard.
Diezani Alison-Madueke, 65, who served as Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015, is alleged to have been provided with “a life of luxury in the United Kingdom”, including access to multimillion-pound properties, a chauffeur-driven car, private jet travel and £100,000 in cash.
The trial at Southwark Crown Court was told that a further £4.6m was allegedly spent refurbishing properties in London and Buckinghamshire.
Alison-Madueke denies five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
Jurors heard that more than £2m was spent at Harrods on Alison-Madueke’s behalf using payment cards belonging to Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko and the debit card of his company, Tenka Limited.
The court was told she had her own personal shopper at the department store, a service reserved for Harrods Rewards Black Tier members who must spend more than £10,000 a year.
It was also alleged that Alison-Madueke lived in the UK for periods of time, during which she was provided with domestic staff including a housekeeper, nanny, gardener and window cleaner. Prosecutors said the salaries and running costs were paid by energy company owners who held lucrative contracts with Nigeria’s state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“This case is about bribery in relation to the oil and gas industry in Nigeria during the period 2011 to 2015,” said Alexandra Healy KC, prosecuting.
“During that time those who were interested in the award and retention of lucrative oil and gas contracts with the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation or its subsidiaries the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company and the Pipelines Product Marketing Company, provided significant financial or other advantages to Alison-Madueke.”
Addressing why the case was being heard in the UK, she added:
“It might seem strange to be dealing here in the UK with a case that concerns bribery in relation to the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
“We live in a global society. Bribery and corruption undermine the proper functioning of the global market.
“There is an important public interest in ensuring that conduct in our country does not further corruption in another country.”
Jurors were shown photographs of the interior of a Buckinghamshire property known as The Falls in Gerrard’s Cross, which was purchased in 2010 by Nigerian businessman Olajide Omokore, the owner of Atlantic Energy.
From late 2011, Alison-Madueke allegedly had exclusive use of the property, which includes a cinema room. The court heard she stayed there three or four times over a two-year period and spent six weeks at the house writing a book about the Nigerian president.
She was reportedly assisted by a chef and a driver whose duties included delivering shopping. The driver knew her as “HM”, short for honourable minister.
Prosecutors said the use of the property, along with £300,000 worth of refurbishment, was paid for by Tenka Limited. Aluko, the court heard, held contracts with state-owned bodies that were in the process of securing new oil agreements.
It was further alleged that between May 2011 and January 2014, £500,000 was paid in rent for two flats in a central London block where Alison-Madueke and her mother lived. Records seized from Tenka’s offices in Nigeria were said to show the company paid the rent.
Alison-Madueke is standing trial alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who is charged with one count of bribery relating to her and a separate count of bribing a foreign public official. She sat in the dock beside Ayinde during proceedings.
Her brother, former archbishop Doye Agama, 69, is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and is taking part in the trial via video link for medical reasons. Both Ayinde and Agama deny the charges against them.
The trial is expected to last around 12 weeks.
Oil plays a central role in Nigeria’s economy, although the wider population has not shared equally in its benefits. The country is one of 13 members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), which regulates global oil supply and pricing.
