London, UK — Proceedings in the corruption trial of former Nigerian petroleum minister and ex-OPEC president, Diezani Alison-Madueke, were disrupted on Monday at the Southwark Crown Court after a technical failure prevented prosecutors from opening their case.
The disruption occurred in Court 4 before Justice Thornton, where the prosecution informed the court that the absence of internet connectivity made it impossible to deliver its scheduled opening statement. As a result, no substantive progress was recorded, and the case was adjourned until Tuesday.
A court source confirmed that the prosecution’s presentation could not proceed without access to online materials essential to the case.
Alison-Madueke, 65, who is standing trial alongside two co-defendants, was present in court and was seen entering and leaving the courtroom wearing blue trousers and using a walking stick. No explanation was provided for the mobility aid.
The former minister appeared in court last week when preliminary proceedings began, ahead of a full trial expected to last between 10 and 12 weeks.
Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. She is Nigeria’s first female petroleum minister and the first woman to serve as President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Her tenure has been overshadowed by longstanding corruption allegations both in Nigeria and abroad. British authorities first arrested her in October 2015 as part of a wide-ranging corruption investigation. She has remained on bail since then.
In 2023, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) formally charged Alison-Madueke, alleging that she received bribes between 2011 and 2015 in exchange for influence over lucrative oil contracts.
According to the NCA, the former minister is accused of receiving over £100,000 in cash, alongside luxury benefits including chauffeur-driven vehicles, private jet flights, high-end London properties, luxury furniture, renovation services, household staff, private school fees and designer items.
Prosecutors are expected to argue that these benefits were inducements for favourable decisions within Nigeria’s oil sector, which generates billions of dollars annually.
Two other defendants, Doye Agama, who appeared via video link, and Olatimbo Ayinde, who was physically present in court, are also facing bribery-related charges connected to the case.
The trial is expected to resume on Tuesday.
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