Indictments for bribery have been brought against Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former minister of petroleum resources of Nigeria, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom.
Since her initial detention in London in October 2015, Alison-Madueke has been free on bail.
She will show up in court in the British capital on October 2, according to the NCA.
According to the AFP, shortly after her detention, the family’s attorney declared that she would vehemently refute the corruption allegations that have been hanging over her both during and after her stint as a minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Andy Kelly, the head of the NCA’s international corruption team, reportedly made the following statement: “We assume Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and took financial rewards for issuing multimillion-pound contracts.”
The NCA claims that Alison-Madueke received at least £100,000 ($127,000) in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, private jet travel, opulent vacations for her family, and use of numerous London apartments.
According to the AFP, the costs also include financial perks such as furnishings, personnel for property renovations, payment of tuition for elite schools, and gifts from high-end designer stores like Louis Vuitton products and Cartier jewellery.
According to Kelly, bribery is a persistent type of corruption that fosters serious crime and can have disastrous effects on emerging nations.
These accusations mark a turning point in a lengthy and intricate multinational inquiry.
According to her family, the former oil minister underwent chemotherapy for breast cancer and has been living in the affluent St. John’s Wood neighbourhood of North London since her initial arrest.
The NCA said that at the time of her arrest, it had only apprehended five persons in London on suspicion of participating in international corruption.
Following Alison-Madueke’s arrest, the Nigerian administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari announced that its law enforcement authorities were working with their British counterparts.
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According to the NCA, assets related to the case worth millions of pounds have been frozen as part of the inquiry, and the NCA handed evidence to the court in March.
