Former OPEC President Diezani Alison-Madueke charged with bribery offenses in UK

Feyisayo Ajayi -

Diezani Alison-Madueke, 63, the former president of OPEC, has been formally charged with bribery offenses in the United Kingdom. The charges follow an investigation carried out by the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the UK.

Alison-Madueke is accused of receiving bribes during her tenure as Nigeria’s minister for petroleum resources, with allegations of impropriety tied to procuring oil and gas contracts.

The NCA released a statement on Tuesday detailing the accusations.

The agency asserts that Alison-Madueke benefited from various inducements, including cash sums exceeding £100,000 ($127,300), utilization of private jets, and indulgent vacations.

“We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million pound contracts,” Andy Kelly, the head of the NCA’s International Corruption Unit, said in a press statement.

Alison-Madueke, who resides in London, allegedly received amenities such as furnishings, property enhancements, domestic personnel, and even the payment of private school tuition fees.