British prosecutors have told a London court that Nigeria’s former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, spent more than £2m at Harrods, allegedly using money provided by oil executives who stood to benefit from lucrative contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Opening the case at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, the prosecution said the founders of energy companies awarded major NNPC contracts also paid the running costs of Alison-Madueke’s UK home and covered the salaries of her domestic staff, including a housekeeper, nanny, gardener, and window cleaner.
The payments, jurors were told, formed part of what prosecutors described as a broader pattern of inducements allegedly offered in return for favourable treatment in the award and retention of oil and gas contracts.
Alison-Madueke, a former president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is standing trial on five counts relating to the acceptance of bribes in the form of luxury goods and the use of high-end properties owned by oil industry figures. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery.
The court heard that the former minister maintained an opulent lifestyle in the UK, including the use of a personal shopper at Harrods – a service reserved for Black Tier Rewards members who spend more than £10,000 a year. Prosecutors alleged that more than £2m was spent on her behalf at the Brompton Road store, with several purchases made using payment cards linked to the oil executive Kolawole Aluko and the debit card of his company, Tenka Limited.
“She was provided with a life of luxury in the United Kingdom,” the prosecutor told the court, alleging that Alison-Madueke enjoyed access to multimillion-pound properties, a chauffeur-driven car, private jet travel, and £100,000 in cash. Jurors also heard that about £4.6m was spent refurbishing properties in London and Buckinghamshire allegedly connected to her use.
Aluko, a petroleum and aviation magnate named in the Panama Papers, was previously investigated over claims that he helped move millions of dollars out of Nigeria as kickbacks to Alison-Madueke. Prosecutors said he held contracts with state-owned oil entities while seeking additional ones.
“This case is about bribery in relation to the oil and gas industry in Nigeria between 2011 and 2015,” said Alexandra Healy KC, for the prosecution. “Those interested in the award and retention of lucrative oil and gas contracts provided significant financial and other advantages to Alison-Madueke.
“There is a strong public interest in ensuring that conduct in this country does not further corruption in another country,” she added.
Jurors were shown photographs of a Buckinghamshire property known as The Falls, bought in 2010 by the Nigerian businessman Olajide Omokore, the owner of Atlantic Energy. The court heard that from late 2011 Alison-Madueke allegedly had exclusive use of the property, which included a cinema room, staying there on several occasions and spending about six weeks writing a book. The costs, including around £300,000 in refurbishments, were allegedly paid by Tenka.
Prosecutors further alleged that between May 2011 and January 2014, about £500,000 was paid in rent for two central London flats occupied by Alison-Madueke and her mother, with company records said to show that Tenka settled the bills.
Alison-Madueke is standing trial alongside the oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who faces one count of bribery relating to her and another of bribing a foreign public official. Her brother, Doye Agama, 69, a former archbishop, is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and is attending the proceedings by video link for medical reasons.
All three defendants deny the charges. The trial, expected to last about 12 weeks, continues.
