Former Nigerian Oil Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke has been found not guilty of bribery charges following a high-profile trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court.
The 65-year-old was cleared of five counts of accepting bribes and one charge of conspiracy to commit bribery. The prosecution had alleged that she accepted rewards from wealthy oil executives in the form of luxury United Kingdom (UK) home stays and lavish spending sprees.
Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria’s Petroleum Resources Minister between 2010 and 2015 and made history as the first female President of the oil exporters’ bloc, OPEC.
The verdict deals a major blow to the UK’s National Crime Agency, which spent 13 years investigating the prominent African political figure.
From the outset of the trial in January, defense lawyers strongly contested the fairness of the prosecution’s case. They argued that critical documents proving Alison-Madueke’s innocence had gone missing in Nigeria. The defense also heavily criticised the lengthy delay in bringing the case to court, labeling it unjust and a reflection of Britain’s “broken criminal justice system.”
–ChannelAfrica/Reuters–
