Ex-Nigeria oil minister in bribery trial spent £2m at Harrods, court docket hears

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<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/d9d4/live/b26627a0-fb9a-11f0-bb99-e9cf31cf2a39.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/d9d4/live/b26627a0-fb9a-11f0-bb99-e9cf31cf2a39.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/d9d4/live/b26627a0-fb9a-11f0-bb99-e9cf31cf2a39.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/d9d4/live/b26627a0-fb9a-11f0-bb99-e9cf31cf2a39.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/d9d4/live/b26627a0-fb9a-11f0-bb99-e9cf31cf2a39.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/d9d4/live/b26627a0-fb9a-11f0-bb99-e9cf31cf2a39.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/d9d4/live/b26627a0-fb9a-11f0-bb99-e9cf31cf2a39.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/d9d4/live/b26627a0-fb9a-11f0-bb99-e9cf31cf2a39.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Getty Images Diezani Alison-Madueke arrives at Southwark Crown Court on 26 January. She is looking at the camera, and wearing a blue scarf and brown hat" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Getty Pictures Diezani Alison-Madueke was Nigeria's minister of petroleum sources from 2010 to 2015

Greater than £2m was spent at Harrods on behalf of a then-Nigerian oil minister accused of accepting bribes from trade figures serious about authorities contracts, a court docket in London has heard.

Diezani Alison-Madueke, 65, is alleged to have been supplied with "a lifetime of luxurious in the UK", together with the usage of multimillion-pound properties, a chauffeur pushed automotive, journey by personal jet, and £100,000 in money.

Different advantages she allegedly obtained included £4.6m spent on refurbishing properties in London and Buckinghamshire, the trial at Southwark Crown Courtroom was advised.

She denies 5 counts of accepting bribes and a cost of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Alison-Madueke was minister of petroleum sources between 2010 and 2015 beneath then-President Goodluck Jonathan.

Jurors had been advised that over £2m was spent on behalf of Alison-Madueke at Harrods utilizing the cost playing cards of Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko and the debit card of his firm Tenka Restricted.

The defendant had her personal private shopper on the retailer, solely out there to Harrods Rewards Black Tier members who should spend over £10,000 a yr, the court docket heard.

Jurors had been additionally advised she lived a number of the time within the UK the place she was supplied with a housekeeper, nanny, gardener and window cleaner.

The salaries and different operating prices had been paid for by the house owners of power firms who had profitable contracts with the state-owned Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Company, the court docket was advised.

"This case is about bribery in relation to the oil and gasoline trade in Nigeria throughout the interval 2011 to 2015," mentioned Alexandra Healy KC, prosecuting.

"Throughout that point those that had been within the award and retention of profitable oil and gasoline contracts with the state-owned Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Company or its subsidiaries the Nigerian Petroleum Growth Firm and the Pipelines Product Advertising Firm, supplied important monetary or different benefits to Alison-Madueke."

Healy added: "It might sound unusual to be dealing right here within the UK with a case that considerations bribery in relation to the Nigerian oil and gasoline trade.

"We reside in a worldwide society. Bribery and corruption undermine the correct functioning of the worldwide market.

"There is a vital public curiosity in guaranteeing that conduct in our nation doesn't additional corruption out of the country."

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/059b/live/101af5a0-fbb5-11f0-ab9d-51dbb3242e9b.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/059b/live/101af5a0-fbb5-11f0-ab9d-51dbb3242e9b.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/059b/live/101af5a0-fbb5-11f0-ab9d-51dbb3242e9b.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/059b/live/101af5a0-fbb5-11f0-ab9d-51dbb3242e9b.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/059b/live/101af5a0-fbb5-11f0-ab9d-51dbb3242e9b.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/059b/live/101af5a0-fbb5-11f0-ab9d-51dbb3242e9b.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/059b/live/101af5a0-fbb5-11f0-ab9d-51dbb3242e9b.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/059b/live/101af5a0-fbb5-11f0-ab9d-51dbb3242e9b.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="PA Media A street view of Harrods " class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> PA Media The court docket heard Alison-Madueke had her personal private shopper at Harrods

Jurors had been additionally proven images inside a property referred to as The Falls in Gerrard's Cross, Buckinghamshire, which was purchased in 2010 by Nigerian businessman Olajide Omokore, proprietor of an organization referred to as Atlantic Power.

From late 2011 Alison-Madueke allegedly had unique use of the home which has a cinema room. The court docket heard she stayed there three or 4 occasions over two years, and spent six weeks on the property writing a e book in regards to the president of Nigeria.

She was assisted by a chef and the motive force of automotive whose position included dropping off purchasing for Alison-Madueke, whom he knew as "HM" - brief for honourable minister.

It was mentioned that this, together with £300,000 value of refurbishment, was paid for by Tenka Restricted. The court docket was advised Aluko additionally had contracts with state-owned entities that had been within the means of securing new oil contracts.

The court docket heard that between Could 2011 and January 2014, £500,000 was additionally paid in lease for 2 flats in a block in central London the place Alison-Madueke and her mom lived.

Data seized on the Tenka workplaces in Nigeria present the corporate settled the invoice, it was claimed.

Alison-Madueke sat within the dock in addition to oil trade government Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who's charged with one rely of bribery regarding Alison-Madueke and a separate rely of bribery of a overseas public official.

Alison-Madueke's brother, former archbishop Doye Agama, 69, is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and joined the trial by video hyperlink for medical causes.

Ayinde and Agama additionally deny the costs in opposition to them.

The trial – anticipated to final about 12 weeks - continues.

Oil performs a major position in Nigeria's economic system, however the inhabitants at massive has not seen the advantages.

It is among the 13 members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting International locations (Opec), set as much as cope with the worldwide provide of oil and its value.