The Southwark Crown Court in the United Kingdom has postponed hearings in the case involving Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former petroleum minister, until November 2025.
Alison-Madueke is on trial for allegedly accepting a £100,000 bribe. By her next trial date, she would have spent ten years in the UK.
On October 2, Michael Snow, the district judge at the Westminster Magistrates Court in the United Kingdom, granted Alison-Madueke bail in the amount of £70,000 after judging her “a flight risk.”
Before she was granted bail, Snow put harsh conditions on Alison-Madueke, including an 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and the wearing of an electronic tag at all times.
The former minister fled Nigeria in 2015, shortly before former President Goodluck Jonathan was replaced by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Alison-Madueke with stealing $2.5 billion from Nigeria’s treasury while serving as Minister.
Read also: Diezani Alison-Madueke: Is this the last chapter?
Alison-Madueke and four other people were detained in the United Kingdom in October 2015 on suspicion of bribery and money laundering.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) stated in August 2023 that they suspected Alison- Madueke of accepting bribes in exchange for awarding multi-million pound oil and gas contracts.
The NCA stated on its website that Alison-Madueke “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.”
The NCA also gave evidence to the US Department of Justice in March of this year, allowing them to collect assets totaling $53.1 million linked to Alison-Madueke’s alleged misconduct.
Andy Kelly, head of the NCA’s international corruption unit (ICU), said the “charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation.”
“Bribery is a pervasive form of corruption, which enables serious criminality and can have devastating consequences for developing countries. We will continue to work with partners here and overseas to tackle the threat,” Kelly added.
