– Says associates paid for items without her instruction
– Insists she saw no conflict in gifts from NNPC-linked businessmen
Wale Igbintade
Former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke yesterday denied soliciting luxury items or improperly benefiting from businessmen with ties to Nigeria’s state oil company, as her trial continued at the Southwark Crown Court in London.
Resuming on Day 25, the proceedings saw the defendant come under sustained cross-examination by prosecutors, during which she distanced herself from a series of high-value purchases and financial arrangements presented in evidence.
She insisted that many of the expenditures were made independently by associates, particularly oil trader Kolawole Aluko.
The court revisited evidence from 2017, including photographs of items recovered from London properties and storage facilities.
Prosecutors questioned Alison-Madueke about her links to Italian interior designer Vincenzo Caffarella and a catalogue of luxury furnishings.
She denied requesting several of the items, including bespoke furniture, attributing them instead to Aluko or other associates.
A substantial part of the hearing focused on a detailed shopping ledger documenting purchases from high-end retailers such as 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 often paid for items during joint shopping trips as part of what she described as a longstanding personal arrangement.
“I did not ask him to pay for items,” she said, adding that although 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.
Alison-Madueke responded that she did not perceive any conflict at the time, describing the relationships as personal rather than official.
Attention also turned to a corporate entity, Tenka, described in court as a service company funded by Aluko.
Prosecutors suggested the firm was used to manage expenses for the former minister and her associates.
However, Alison-Madueke said she had no knowledge of Tenka’s funding structure and relied on legal advice before engaging with it.
“I was not privy to any of this,” she said, referring to 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.”
The court also 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.
“My mother met him through a rental arrangement. I did not introduce them in that manner,” she said.
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.
However, she maintained that such arrangements were connected to official engagements or personal circumstances, including periods of ill health.
She added that certain official trips were reimbursed by the NNPC.
Addressing properties in London and Abuja, she confirmed that furniture and fittings in residences she occupied were often paid for by associates, describing them as “significant gifts” from family friends.
She maintained that she did not consider it necessary at the time to formally declare such gifts to government authorities.
Prosecutors also highlighted a pattern of frequent international travel, supported by passport records, shopping receipts, and chauffeur bookings.
In response, Alison-Madueke said she used both diplomatic and standard Nigerian passports depending on convenience and official requirements, and denied personally managing logistics such as transport or household services.
“I did not give instructions to service providers,” she said, adding that references to “HM” in certain records could relate to members of her staff rather than herself.
She further denied issuing directives regarding domestic arrangements, including property maintenance and staffing, attributing such responsibilities to aides and service providers.
She also challenged email correspondence suggesting staff were overworked, stating she was unaware of such conditions and would not have condoned them.
The court heard additional evidence relating to luxury items, including watches, silverware, and interior décor, some valued at tens of thousands of pounds. Alison-Madueke disputed ownership of several items and suggested that others were intended for different properties or individuals.
In some cases, she said items were given out as gifts or donated to charity.
On her professional relationships, she told the court that she was introduced to Aluko and businessman Olajide Omokore through official channels and denied any prior personal connection before assuming office.
Throughout the session, the former minister repeatedly said she could not recall specific details of transactions dating back more than a decade but maintained that she acted transparently and within the law.
“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, as it seeks to establish whether any benefits she received were improperly linked to her role as petroleum minister.
The trial continues.
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