October 30, (THEWILL) – The court hearing on bribery charges and allegations of corruption against a former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, has been adjourned until February 23, 2024.
Diezani had been scheduled to appear before a Southwark Crown Court judge in London on Monday, October 30.
The former Oil minister, who was a prominent figure in President Goodluck Jonathan’s government between 2010 and 2015, is suspected of having accepted bribes in exchange for awarding contracts during her time as Minister for Petroleum Resources
She was charged with receiving bribes in the form of cash, luxury goods, flights on private jets and the use of high-end properties in Britain, in return for awarding oil contracts
Earlier this month, she appeared before a Westminster Magistrate Court, from where the multimillion pound allegations and corruption charges were transferred to the crown court for trial.
Prosecutor, Andy Young, on October 2, told the Westminster Magistrate Court that Diezani allegedly accepted a wide range of advantages in cash and in-kind from people who wanted to receive or continue to receive the award of oil contracts which he said were worth billions of dollars in total.
According to the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), Diezani, as oil Minister, allegedly conferred advantages including delivery of 100,000 pounds ($121,620) in cash, the payment of private school fees for her son, and the use and refurbishment of several luxurious properties in London and in the English countryside.
These were in addition to the use of a Range Rover car, payment of bills for chauffeur-driven cars, furniture, and purchases from the upmarket London department store Harrods and from Vincenzo Caffarella, which sells Italian decorative arts and antiques.
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