By Akinwale Kasali
Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Minister of Petroleum Resources under former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration has been charged for alleged bribery in the United Kingdom.
Alison-Madueke appeared before the Westminster Magistrate’s Court, London, following an investigation by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, NCA, which leads the country’s efforts to combat serious and organised crimes.
It was alleged by the NCA that Alison-Madueke accepted bribes during her tenure as the Minister for Petroleum Resources in exchange for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts.
The charges specified that former Minister benefitted from various perks, including cash, chauffeur-driven cars, private jet flights, luxury holidays, and the use of multiple London properties.
The rewards also encompassed financial benefits like furniture, renovation work, payment of private school fees, and gifts from high-end designer shops.
It would be recalled that there were calls from different quarters for the repatriation/extradition of Alison-Madueke to Nigeria to face charges leveled against him by anti graft agencies bothering on corruption and other related charges.
But due to the dual citizenship of Alison Madueke, where she is also a citizen of Nigeria and Dominican Republic, it became a herculean task for her extradition to come to reality.
