Former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke has pleaded not guilty to multiple bribery charges as her trial began in London.

At Southwark Crown Court, prosecutors said Alison-Madueke, who led Nigeria’s oil ministry from 2010 to 2015 and became the first woman president of OPEC, allegedly accepted lavish gifts and cash while awarding lucrative oil and gas contracts. The benefits she is accused of receiving include £100,000 in cash, luxury cars, private jet flights, and the upkeep of London properties. She also faces allegations of receiving school fees for her son and shopping sprees at high-end stores.

Authorities claim the payments came from business figures linked to companies that later secured contracts with Nigeria’s state-owned petroleum corporation, the NNPC. Prosecutors argued that such advantages were improper and offered in exchange for influence over these contracts.

Alison-Madueke has denied all wrongdoing. She has been on bail since her arrest in London in 2015. Two other defendants, her brother Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also facing bribery charges connected to the case.

The UK National Crime Agency has said the former minister is suspected of abusing her power for personal gain. In Nigeria, several of her properties were seized by courts in 2017, and the EFCC confirmed ongoing cases against her.
Judge Justine Thornton expects the trial to conclude by April 24.