former Nigeria oil minister bribery trial Harrods spending
A London court has heard new details in the bribery trial of former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, including that more than £2 million was spent on luxury purchases at Harrods in the United Kingdom, prosecutors told jurors on Wednesday.
During proceedings at Southwark Crown Court, prosecutors outlined how Kolawole Aluko, a Nigerian businessman not on trial, used personal and corporate payment cards to fund more than £2 million in purchases at Harrods, the high-end London department store, on behalf of Alison-Madueke while she was serving as Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015.
The court was told that Alison-Madueke enjoyed a “life of luxury” in the UK, living part of the time in lavish homes provided by associates and benefiting from personal staff such as housekeepers, gardeners and nannies, all funded by individuals with business interests in Nigerian state-owned oil companies. The prosecution also said she received chauffeured cars, private jet travel, and cash gifts in excess of £100,000, in addition to the expensive shopping.
Prosecutors argue that the spending and perks were part of a broader bribery scheme in which industry figures sought to influence oil contracts and other lucrative business dealings with Nigerian state entities. The charges against Alison-Madueke include multiple counts of accepting bribes and one charge of conspiracy to commit bribery, all of which she denies.
Jurors were told that Harrods purchases were charged to accounts linked to Aluko’s business interests, and that the luxury department store’s personal shopper services were made available due to the high level of spending. The trial is expected to continue over several weeks as further evidence is heard.
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