Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former petroleum minister, has appeared in court in the United Kingdom for an alleged £100,000 bribe.
The district judge, Michael Snow, set bail at £70,000 for Alison-Madueke.
Snow, on the other hand, put further conditions on Alison-Madueke, including an 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, an electronic tag to be worn at all times, and a 70,000-pound bond to be paid before she could leave the courthouse.
Her next court appearance will be on October 30 at Southwark Crown Court, which handles serious criminal charges.
According to a source, the ex-minister was indicted with her brother and oil businessman Timbo Ayinde.
Alison-Madueke provided her name, date of birth, and address during today’s proceedings.
She was not asked to enter a formal plea, but her lawyer, Mark Bowen, informed the court that she would be pleading not guilty.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) announced in August that they accused Diezani of accepting bribes in exchange for awarding multi-million pound oil and gas contracts.
The NCA stated on its website that Diezani “is alleged to have benefited from at least £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, private jet flights, luxury vacations for her family, and the use of multiple London properties.”
“Her charges also detail financial rewards including furniture, renovation work and staff for the properties, payment of private school fees, and gifts from high-end designer shops such as Cartier jewellery and Louis Vuitton goods,” according to the statement.
The NCA also gave evidence to the US Department of Justice in March of this year, allowing them to collect assets totaling USD $53.1 million tied to Diezan’s alleged misconduct.
The accusations, according to Andy Kelly, head of the NCA’s international corruption unit (ICU), “are a landmark in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation.”
“Bribery is a widespread form of corruption that facilitates serious criminality and can have disastrous consequences for developing countries.” “We will continue to work with partners both at home and abroad to combat the threat,” Kelly stated.
Diezani and four other people were detained in the United Kingdom in October 2015 on suspicion of bribery and money laundering.
Diezani was granted bail by a UK magistrate court, but her passport was taken and she was ordered to attend to the Charing Cross police station.
Diezani served as Minister of Petroleum Resources under former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 until 2015.
She fled the country shortly before Jonathan handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the former minister stole $2.5 billion from the Nigerian government while she was a minister.