Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke has been declared not guilty of all corruption allegations leveled against her in the United Kingdom, therefore finishing a much anticipated legal conflict.
After over 46 hours of deliberation, a jury at Southwark Crown Court in London found the ex-minister guilty on six counts not guilty. The decision came after several weeks of hearings in a case drawing interest in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
The News Chronicle reports that during her time in office prosecutors claimed Alison Madueke got lavish benefits from people involved in the oil and gas sector in return for influence over contract awards. She repeatedly refuted the allegations, claiming throughout the trial that she neither took bribes nor had direct oversight on government contract allocation.
Also exonerated by the court were oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and Doye Agama, Alison Madueke’s brother, who confronted similar charges and likewise claimed no guilt.
The decision signals a big turn in inquiries that have tracked the ex-minister for more than ten years. Though the decision exonerates her of the criminal accusations tried in London, her name has still been associated to multiple ongoing inquiries related to her leadership as among the most powerful people in Nigeria’s oil industry.
