Former Minister of Petroleum Sources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has denied allegations of bribery and abuse of workplace whereas testifying earlier than a London courtroom, insisting she by no means solicited or accepted bribes.
Alison-Madueke started her defence at Southwark Crown Court docket, the place she is dealing with six counts beneath the UK Bribery Act.
The previous Shell govt is accused of receiving {financial} advantages from a number of oil businessmen in change for beneficial therapy in oil contract awards.
Testifying earlier than the jury, she maintained that she acted lawfully all through her tenure.
“I didn’t abuse my workplace in any respect. I didn’t ask, search or solicit bribes. I at all times acted in good religion and sought to make sure equity and stability in decision-making,” she instructed the courtroom.
She acknowledged staying at properties in London supplied by associates and confirmed that a few of her flight preparations have been funded by enterprise associates.
Nonetheless, she insisted that such bills have been both reimbursed by the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Company (NNPC) or dealt with as non-public logistical preparations past her direct duty.
Alison-Madueke argued that as petroleum minister, her duties have been largely policy-related, whereas operational choices on oil contracts have been dealt with by the NNPC and its committees.
“The minister’s function is coverage. Operational choices are dealt with by the NNPC. The minister solely indicators off after suggestions have been made. The minister shouldn’t be concerned within the decision-making course of,” she mentioned, describing her function as largely formal.
Prosecutors, nonetheless, keep that accepting advantages from businessmen related to contract awards quantities to corruption beneath UK legislation.
Addressing cultural practices, Alison-Madueke instructed the courtroom that gift-giving {and professional} help have been frequent in Nigerian society and needs to be seen inside that context.
“We are inclined to function as one another’s keepers,” she mentioned, including that help amongst skilled networks was commonplace.
One of many main allegations includes a reported £100,000 money supply to her London residence in July 2012 by a driver linked to an oil businessman. She denied any information of the cash.
“It was not mine, and I solely grew to become conscious of it via disclosure in these proceedings,” she mentioned.
She additionally criticised what she described as weak {financial} controls within the NNPC’s London workplace, which she mentioned led to reliance on casual cost preparations. She added that lacking official paperwork, together with ministerial diaries, may have supported her account of official reimbursements and actions.
Alison-Madueke additional instructed the courtroom that she confronted sustained political stress forward of Nigeria’s 2015 elections and had been warned she could be made a scapegoat.
She mentioned copies of key paperwork she saved have been later seized throughout a search of her Abuja residence by the {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee in 2015.
Offering background on her profession, Alison-Madueke mentioned she was born in Port Harcourt in 1960, studied overseas, and later joined Shell, the place she rose to turn out to be one of many firm’s first Nigerian feminine govt administrators earlier than coming into authorities in 2007.
Her testimony is predicted to proceed, adopted by cross-examination by prosecutors. The trial is predicted to conclude by the tip of Could.