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Ex-Nigerian Oil Minister Stands Trial in UK on Bribery Charges

Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke has been accused at her London trial of accepting bribes, including luxury goods, high-end properties, and the use of a private jet, from figures seeking lucrative oil and gas contracts. Alison-Madueke faces five bribery charges and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, which she denies.

Prosecutors told Southwark Crown Court that she enjoyed a lavish lifestyle in London funded by businessmen linked to Nigerian state-owned companies, including having her son's school fees paid and a mansion provided for her use. Co-defendants Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother Doye Agama also face bribery-related charges.

Prosecutors said the case demonstrates the broader impact of corruption on Nigeria's oil industry and the global market, and argued it was proper to hear the case in London due to the defendants' financial and property ties to Britain.

InFocus

World Economic Forum/Flickr

Diezani Alison-Madueke.

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