.jpeg)
The trial of Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum resources, has reached its final stage at the Southwark Crown Court, with both defence and prosecution closing their cases.
Alison-Madueke is standing trial alongside Olatimbo Ayinde and Doye Agama on a five-count charge bordering on alleged bribery. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.
British prosecutors allege that Alison-Madueke accepted bribes in the form of luxury items and high-end properties from oil industry figures seeking favourable treatment in the award of contracts during her tenure between 2010 and 2015. The former minister has consistently denied the allegations.
During proceedings on Tuesday, defence counsel Jonathan Laidlaw presented his closing arguments, accusing prosecutors of failing to charge the alleged bribe givers and relying on questionable evidence. He also raised concerns over missing documents and the handling of materials recovered during a 2015 raid on Alison-Madueke’s residence in Abuja.
Laidlaw questioned the absence of officials from the National Crime Agency (NCA) during the raid and argued that key evidence, including records related to reimbursements and official documentation, had either disappeared or was not properly documented.
He further criticised the reliance on evidence from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), while alleging inconsistency in the prosecution’s treatment of related materials.
In response, lead prosecutor Alexandra Healy maintained that oil executives provided improper benefits to the former minister while benefiting from lucrative government contracts. She told the jury that it was inappropriate for a public official to have her lifestyle funded by individuals doing business with the state.
Healy also rejected claims that the benefits were reimbursed, noting that no documentary evidence had been presented and that such claims were absent in earlier police interviews.
The prosecution referenced a £1 million payment allegedly linked to Benedict Peters, describing the use of intermediaries as an attempt to conceal the nature of the transaction.
The jury is expected to deliver its verdict later this week, bringing the high-profile trial to a close.
.jpeg)
No comments:
Post a Comment