Nigeria's Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke (C) attends the flag-off for Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan's campaign for a second term in office, in Lagos January 8, 2015.
REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Ex-minister was arrested in London in 2015Police allege lavish lifestyle came from corruptionAssets frozen in UK, seized in U.S., NigeriaLONDON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - British police said on Tuesday they had charged former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke with bribery offences, saying they suspected she had accepted bribes in return for awarding multi-million pound oil and gas contracts.
Alison-Madueke, 63, served as petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015, under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
A London lawyer who was acting for her in 2015 did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
News of the British charges comes a month after a London court ordered the confiscation of $130 million from a former Nigerian oil state governor, James Ibori, in an unrelated but equally high-profile case involving political corruption in Nigeria.
Persons:
Diezani Alison, Goodluck Jonathan's, Akintunde, Alison, Madueke, Goodluck Jonathan, Andy Kelly, St John’s Wood, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, James Ibori, Michael Holden, Estelle Shirbon, Giles Elgood
Organizations:
Nigeria's Petroleum, Nigeria's, REUTERS, Police, Nigeria LONDON, British, Organization of, Petroleum, NCA, Westminster Magistrates, Louis, U.S . Department of Justice, Thomson
Locations:
Lagos, London, U.S, Nigeria, Africa's, Britain, United States, St John’s, Westminster