Key witness’ testimony raises doubts in Alison-Madueke UK bribery case

FRESH testimony in the United Kingdom bribery trial of former Nigerian Petroleum Minister, Ms Diezani Alison-Madueke, has weakened key aspects of the prosecution’s case, after major witnesses contradicted earlier statements under cross-examination.

The trial, taking place at Southwark Crown Court, centres on five counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Prosecutors allege that Ms Alison-Madueke received luxury gifts and financial benefits from wealthy oil businessmen in exchange for favourable official actions while in office.

In recent court sessions, jurors were presented with claims of extravagant shopping trips and high-value purchases made in some of London’s most exclusive locations. The Crown contends these benefits were bribes disguised as gifts.

However, defence lawyers have pointed to growing inconsistencies in the prosecution’s own evidence, suggesting that some witness accounts may not be reliable.

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One of the most significant witnesses, Mr Sandro Rocha, a former driver to Nigerian businessman Mr Kola Aluko, testified over two days. Mr Rocha initially told the court he had transported large sums of cash and driven Ms Alison-Madueke between properties linked to Ms Aluko in London.

He also claimed that on one occasion he drove her alongside former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. But during cross-examination, Mr Rocha admitted that his memory of events between 2009 and 2014 was ‘patchy’ and that his court statement was based entirely on a document prepared for him by investigators from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).

When confronted with travel records and other documents, Mr Rocha conceded that several parts of his testimony were likely incorrect. These included claims that Ms Alison-Madueke visited an unfinished property and that he had seen her elderly mother at an active construction site, assertions he later described as ‘most likely wrong.’

His admission that the witness statement had been drafted by NCA officers has raised questions about compliance with Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) rules, which warn against preparing or influencing witness testimony in a way that could appear coached.

The defence has argued that these developments undermine Mr Rocha’s credibility and could weaken the prosecution’s narrative.

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Earlier in the proceedings, the prosecution also called a Private Client Manager at luxury department store Harrods, Ms Amina Hamila, to support claims that more than £2 million in purchases were linked to Ms Alison-Madueke.

Ms Alison=Madueke is facing five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery brought by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). allege she accepted money and luxury perks from individuals connected to companies doing business with Nigeria’s state-owned oil firm (NNPC). Alleged benefits include: cash payments (e.g., around £100,000, use of chauffeur-driven cars and private jets, high-end London properties, furniture, staff and renovation work at these London homes, among others.