Former Nigerian minister who stayed in £2.8m central London home cleared of bribery charges

Former Nigerian minister who stayed in £2.8m central London home cleared of bribery charges Diezani Alison-Madueke was cleared of five counts of bribery and one of conspiracy to commit bribery following a trial at Southwark Crown Court - Bookmark Nigeria’s former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been cleared of five counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has confirmed. The 65-year-old had consistently denied claims that she lived a "life of luxury" in the UK, with properties allegedly funded and renovated by energy industry figures in exchange for government contracts in Nigeria. Ms Alison-Madueke, who held the position of minister of petroleum resources from April 2010 to May 2015, was accused of receiving £100,000 in cash. Further allegations suggested she had access to a private jet and a chauffeur-driven car, along with the use of household staff including a housekeeper, nanny, gardener, and window cleaner during her time in the UK. Those accused of bribing her were also said to have bankrolled her lavish shopping sprees, reportedly spending more than £2 million at high-end retailers such as Harrods. Prosecutors say she stayed in properties including a “grand” home in Buckinghamshire, a £2.8 million home in Marylebone, central London, and multimillion pound homes overlooking Regent’s Park, and allegedly benefited from renovations valued at £4.6 million. Those accused of bribing Alison-Madueke were also accused of bankrolling other shopping sprees including £370,740 at Marylebone antiques dealer Vincenzo Caffarella, and £117,224.33 with Mayfair retailer of fine china, silverware and glass, Thomas Goode. On Wednesday, the former minister was cleared of five counts of bribery and one of conspiracy to commit bribery following a trial at Southwark Crown Court. The NCA, which conducted the investigation into Ms Alison-Madueke, said they respected the decision of the jury but did not comment further. When she was part of the Nigerian government, Ms Alison-Madueke had oversight of the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company and the Pipelines Product Marketing Company. She has consistently denied wrongdoing and has faced probes in the USA as well as in the UK. Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, an owner of Nigerian oil companies, was also cleared of two charges of bribery while Alison-Madueke’s brother, former archbishop Doye Agama, 69, was cleared of conspiracy to commit bribery.