Former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke left Southwark Crown Court abruptly on Monday as her bribery and corruption trial resumed after a one-week break.
Dressed in a blue trouser suit, Alison-Madueke remained still in the dock while prosecutor Alexandra Heal presented emails, text messages, and other evidence to the court. She appeared visibly unsettled when the court prepared to play a recording of a conversation between her and Olajide Omokore.
As she left the courtroom, she ignored a bystander’s question about allegations of corruption and entered a waiting Mercedes-Benz.
New testimony from a former driver of businessman Kola Aluko revealed how Alison-Madueke and Aluko were chauffeured in luxury cars, including a Rolls Royce, to high-end London stores. The driver, Mr. Sandro, said he often waited for hours, collected receipts, and delivered them to Alison-Madueke’s St John’s Wood residence or Aluko’s apartment at One Hyde Park.
He also testified that he was instructed to pick up large sums of cash from FBN Bank, starting with envelopes containing £10,000–£15,000, which were then divided in the car. Over time, the amounts grew, with one instance involving £100,000 delivered to Alison-Madueke’s residence.
Mr. Sandro recounted driving Alison-Madueke and former President Goodluck Jonathan to a meeting with Aluko and transporting her husband to the airport. He described tensions between Alison-Madueke and Aluko and noted that he was sometimes underpaid or left without pay for months.
Other individuals linked to the case, including Olatimbo Bukola Ayinde and Alison-Madueke’s brother Doye Agama, are also facing bribery charges, though some have kept a low profile in court.
