Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke has been cleared of six bribery charges following a high-profile corruption trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court
Alison-Madueke, who served as Minister of Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, was accused of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. She consistently denied all allegations.
Prosecutors had claimed the 65-year-old was provided with a lavish lifestyle in London by oil and gas industry figures in exchange for favourable treatment in securing contracts in Nigeria, a country long grappling with corruption concerns.
However, she maintained that she never received any bribes and had no influence over contract awards. After more than 46 hours of deliberation, a jury at Southwark Crown Court found her not guilty on all six counts.
The verdict, reported by Reuters, marks a setback for UK authorities, who had pursued the corruption case for over a decade.
She was tried alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who faced separate bribery-related charges involving allegations linked to Alison-Madueke.
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How did she win the case