The prosecution informed the court that its opening statement could not be delivered as scheduled and would instead be presented when the matter resumes on Tuesday.
Proceedings in the alleged corruption trial of former OPEC President and ex–Nigerian Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, were stalled on Monday at the Crown Court in Southwark due to technical difficulties.
A source in Court 4 told SaharaReporters that no substantive progress was made before Mrs Justice Thornton after prosecutors complained of the absence of internet access in the courtroom, a problem that prevented the case from moving forward.
The prosecution informed the court that its opening statement could not be delivered as scheduled and would instead be presented when the matter resumes on Tuesday.
Alison-Madueke, 65, who is standing trial alongside co-defendants, faces a five-count charge bordering on alleged corruption. She was seen arriving at and later leaving Court 4 dressed in blue trousers and using a walking stick.
“The prosecutor was heard stating this was due to there being ‘no internet in the court’. According to her, her opening statement will be delivered tomorrow (Tuesday),” the source said. “The defendant, Ms Diezani Alison-Madueke, was seen entering and leaving Court 4 in blue trousers and using a walking stick.”
It was not immediately clear whether the walking aid was required for medical reasons or was merely a support prop, as no official clarification was provided in court. Alison-Madueke was physically present in court last week as the process got underway, ahead of the full trial expected to hear extensive evidence.
Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, is facing six counts of bribery connected to her time in office. She has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Alison-Madueke holds a unique place in Nigeria’s political history, having been the country’s first female petroleum minister and the first woman to serve as president of OPEC. Her tenure, however, has been dogged by multiple allegations of corruption, both locally and internationally, since she left office in 2015.
She was first arrested by British authorities in London in October 2015 as part of a major corruption investigation. Since that arrest, Alison-Madueke has remained on bail while investigations continued, with the case drawing sustained attention due to its scale and the seniority of the individuals involved.
In 2023, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) formally charged Alison-Madueke, accusing her of accepting bribes over four years between 2011 and 2015, when she wielded significant influence over Nigeria’s oil sector, one of the most lucrative in Africa.
