Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke firmly denied soliciting luxury items or improperly benefiting from businessmen with ties to Nigeria’s state oil company during the 25th day of her corruption trial at Southwark Crown Court in London, insisting that associates made high-value purchases independently and without her instruction or direction.
Under sustained cross-examination by prosecutors, Alison-Madueke distanced herself from a series of costly expenditures and financial arrangements presented in evidence, attributing many of the transactions to oil trader Kolawole Aluko or other associates who she maintained acted on their own initiative during what she described as personal rather than official relationships.
Prosecutors revisited evidence from 2017 including photographs of items recovered from London properties and storage facilities, questioning the former minister about her connections to Italian interior designer Vincenzo Caffarella and an extensive catalogue of luxury furnishings. She denied requesting several of the items, including bespoke furniture, attributing them to Aluko or other associates.
A substantial portion of the hearing focused on a detailed shopping ledger documenting purchases from high-end retailers including Harrods and Thomas Goode. While Alison-Madueke acknowledged that some items including designer handbags and personal accessories belonged to her, she rejected claims that she directed or financed most of the spending.
She told the court that Aluko frequently paid for items during joint shopping trips as part of what she described as a longstanding personal arrangement between friends. “I did not ask him to pay for items,” she said, adding that while she sometimes selected goods or offered opinions during shopping outings, payments were made at the discretion of those accompanying her.
Prosecutors pressed her on whether such arrangements created a conflict of interest, given that Aluko and other benefactors including businessman Igho Sanomi were involved in significant transactions with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation during her tenure as minister. Alison-Madueke responded that she did not perceive any conflict at the time, describing the relationships as personal rather than official in nature.
The court also examined a corporate entity called Tenka, described as a service company funded by Aluko that prosecutors suggested was used to manage expenses for the former minister and her associates. Alison-Madueke said she had no knowledge of the company’s funding structure and had relied on legal advice before engaging with it.
“I was not privy to any of this,” she said when shown documents outlining the company’s operations. “When we needed a service company, it was presented as one, and I sought legal advice, which confirmed it was acceptable.”
Additional evidence examined alleged benefits extended to her family, including rental arrangements involving her mother and gift hampers sent to relatives. Alison-Madueke denied facilitating such transactions, stating that any interactions between Aluko and her family occurred independently of her involvement.
On luxury travel including private jet flights funded by companies linked to her associates, the former minister acknowledged that some trips were paid for by third parties but maintained that such arrangements were connected to official engagements or personal circumstances including periods of ill health, adding that certain official trips were subsequently reimbursed by the NNPC.
She confirmed that furniture and fittings in London and Abuja residences she occupied were often paid for by associates, describing them as significant gifts from family friends, and maintained that she did not consider it necessary at the time to formally declare such gifts to government authorities.
Alison-Madueke repeatedly told the court she could not recall specific details of transactions dating back more than a decade but maintained she had acted transparently and within the law throughout her tenure. “I have not seen some of these items for 13 years,” she said when shown images of goods allegedly linked to her. The prosecution is expected to continue its cross-examination focusing on financial records, asset ownership, and the nature of her relationships with key business figures. The trial continues.
