A London jury on Wednesday acquitted Nigeria’s Former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke of bribery charges.
Alison-Madueke was acquitted after more than 46 hours of jury deliberation at London’s Southwark Crown Court.
According to Reuters, the verdicts are a major blow to British authorities.
Alison-Madueke, the minister for petroleum resources between 2010 and 2015 under then-President Goodluck Jonathan, stood trial charged with five counts of accepting bribes and a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery.
Prosecutors had alleged Alison-Madueke, 65, was given “a life of luxury” in London from oil and gas industry figures seeking lucrative contracts in Nigeria.
But she consistently denied accepting bribe, maintaining she had no real influence over the awarding of contracts.
Her lawyers argued that the spending cited by the prosecution was reimbursed, by the Nigerian state for official business or Alison-Madueke herself for personal expenses.
The lawyer argued that Alison-Madueke was thought of as “Madame Due Process” during her days as minister.
In a statement following her acquittal, Alison-Madueke’s lawyer said she was grateful to the jury, having “unnecessarily endured the ordeal of being separated from her family over 11 years”.
“She is finally allowed to resume her private and public life with her reputation restored and enhanced,” the statement said.
