Ex-Nigeria Oil Minister Accused of Bribery Spent £2m at Harrods, London Court Told
A London court has heard that more than £2 million was spent at luxury department store Harrods on behalf of a former Nigerian oil minister standing trial over alleged bribery linked to oil and gas contracts.
Diezani Alison-Madueke, 65, Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015, is accused of receiving lavish benefits from businessmen seeking lucrative contracts with state-owned energy companies. Prosecutors told Southwark Crown Court that she was allegedly provided with “a life of luxury in the United Kingdom,” including multimillion-pound properties, a chauffeur-driven car, private jet travel and £100,000 in cash.
The court heard that more than £2 million was spent at Harrods using payment cards belonging to Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko and the debit card of his company, Tenka Limited. Jurors were told Alison-Madueke had a personal shopper at the store, a service reserved for Harrods Rewards Black Tier members who spend at least £10,000 annually.
Prosecutors also alleged that an additional £4.6 million was spent refurbishing properties in London and Buckinghamshire for her use. Alison-Madueke is said to have lived part-time in the UK with household staff including a housekeeper, nanny, gardener and window cleaner, with running costs allegedly covered by owners of energy companies holding contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“This case concerns bribery in the Nigerian oil and gas industry between 2011 and 2015,” prosecutor Alexandra Healy KC told the court. She said individuals interested in securing and retaining contracts with the NNPC and its subsidiaries allegedly provided significant financial and other benefits to Alison-Madueke. Healy added that there was a strong public interest in ensuring the UK is not used to facilitate corruption abroad.
Jurors were shown images of a property known as The Falls in Gerrard’s Cross, Buckinghamshire, bought in 2010 by Nigerian businessman Olajide Omokore, owner of Atlantic Energy. From late 2011, Alison-Madueke allegedly had exclusive use of the house, which included a cinema room. The court heard she stayed there intermittently over two years and spent six weeks at the property writing a book about Nigeria’s president.
Prosecutors said the costs of maintaining the property, including around £300,000 in refurbishment, were paid by Tenka Limited. The court also heard that between May 2011 and January 2014, about £500,000 was paid in rent for two central London flats where Alison-Madueke and her mother lived, with company records allegedly showing Tenka settled the bills.
Alison-Madueke denies five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. She is standing trial alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who denies one count of bribery related to Alison-Madueke and a separate charge of bribing a foreign public official. Her brother, former archbishop Doye Agama, 69, who also denies conspiracy to commit bribery, is participating in the trial via video link for medical reasons.
The trial, expected to last about 12 weeks, continues.
