UK Court Clears Alison-Madueke Of Bribery Charges

A UK court has cleared Nigeria's former oil minister and first female OPEC president, Diezani Alison-Madueke, of bribery charges. The verdict was delivered Wednesday at Southwark Crown Court after a five-month trial brought by the National Crime Agency over alleged offences between 2011 and 2015.

Defence lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw said in a statement: "Diezani Alison-Madueke was cleared of six charges of bribery at Southwark Crown Court on 17 June 2026." Laidlaw had earlier argued there was a "gross delay" in bringing the charges, which denied the defence access to material that would have proven her innocence. Prosecutors accused Alison-Madueke of accepting financial advantages from energy companies seeking contracts with Nigeria's state oil firm, describing her lifestyle as involving chauffeur-driven cars, private jets, and London property costs. She has been on bail in Britain since her 2015 arrest.