Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Nigerian minister of petroleum resources, has shown up for the preliminary hearing of her bribery trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Alison-Madueke, the first female president of OPEC from 2010 to 2015, is accused of six counts of bribery by the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom. She has refuted all accusations.
The 65-year-old was officially charged in 2023 with receiving bribes between 2011 and 2015; she has been out on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015. According to the NCA, she misused her position in Nigeria to grant contracts worth millions of pounds in return for cash.
The accusation claims that she got advantages totaling at least £100,000, including cash, private jet flights, chauffeur-driven vehicles, and access to London apartments. Luxurious furniture, restorations, property personnel, private school fees, and designer presents from companies like Louis Vuitton are among the additional benefits mentioned.
The study is slated to start on January 26, 2026, and run for ten to twelve weeks. Olatimbo Ayinde and Doye Agama, two other individuals connected to the case, are also accused of bribery; Ayinde is in court, while Agama appears by video link.