Former Nigerian Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke is acquitted of all bribery-related charges in a UK court case. Multiple outlets report that a jury at Southwark Crown Court finds her not guilty of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. The trial begins in January and ends with the verdict after extensive deliberations reported by some outlets.
Following the acquittal, Alison-Madueke tells the BBC that the UK’s National Crime Agency did not sufficiently understand the realities of Nigeria’s oil sector and that she was treated as “low-hanging fruit.” She says her anti-corruption efforts in the oil industry created powerful enemies and contributed to the legal challenges she faced. She also questions aspects of evidence handling, alleging that documents she says would have supported her defence were taken from her Abuja residence in 2015.
The reports present her view that there is “a bit of blame everywhere,” and that authorities prosecuting cases abroad should apply greater sensitivity, particularly where cases are considered politically motivated. The acquittal ends one of the most closely watched corruption prosecutions involving a former Nigerian public official in the UK.
