A former president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) has been charged in the UK with taking bribes during her time as a government minister in Nigeria.
Diezani Alison-Madueke is alleged to have benefitted from £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, flights on private jets, luxury holidays for her family, and the use of several London properties, in exchange for awarding oil and gas contracts.
The charges against the 63-year-old provide details of alleged ill-gotten gains including furniture, renovation work and staff for the properties, as well as the payment of school fees, the UK’s National Crime Agency said.
The NCA, Britain’s equivalent of America's FBI, said Ms Alison-Madueke also received gifts from high-end designer shops, such as Cartier and Louis Vuitton.
The charges follow an investigation by the NCA’s International Corruption Unit.
Its officers have also worked with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria during the investigation, as well as with the NCA-backed International Anti-Corruption Co-ordination Centre.
Andy Kelly, head of the ICU, said: “We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multimillion-pound contracts.
“These charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation.
“Bribery is a pervasive form of corruption, which enables serious criminality and can have devastating consequences for developing countries. We will continue to work with partners here and overseas to tackle the threat.”
Ms Alison-Madueke was a key figure in the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan, serving as petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015.
She was elected as the first female president of Opec in November 2014.
Assets worth millions of pounds relating to the alleged offences have already been frozen as part of the continuing investigation.
In March, the NCA also provided evidence to the US Department of Justice that enabled officials to recover assets totalling $53.1m linked to Ms Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption.
The IACCC works in 37 jurisdictions and brings together specialist anti-corruption investigators from agencies around the world to tackle allegations of corruption involving politically exposed people.
Chief crown prosecutor Andrew Penhale said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the NCA to charge Diezani Alison-Madueke with bribery offences.
“The CPS made the decision to authorise the charge after reviewing a file of evidence from the NCA relating to allegations of bribery in Nigeria.”
Criminal proceedings against Ms Alison-Madueke are active and she has the right to a fair trial, Mr Penhale said.
“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information which could in any way prejudice these proceedings,” he added.
“The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider.”
Ms Alison-Madueke, who currently lives in the upmarket St John’s Wood area of London will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on October 2.
Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day - 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227 for four at the close.
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Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
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Company name: Fine Diner
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Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
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Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
