The Digest:
A former UK building contractor, Tony Mulcahy, has testified in the London bribery trial of former Nigerian Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, revealing details of luxury renovations on properties linked to her. Mulcahy told Southwark Crown Court that his firm, Bear Rock Construction, carried out £2 million in refurbishments at a North London property hired by businessman Kolawole Aluko, including installing a lift for the minister’s mother. He testified to direct dealings with Alison-Madueke and described financial struggles due to delayed payments, eventually forcing his company into liquidation. The ex-minister is on trial alongside two others, accused of accepting bribes in the form of high-value properties and luxury goods.
Key Points:
- High-value property renovations funded by associates illustrate alleged flows of illicit benefits to public officials.
- Testimonies from contractors provide tangible evidence in complex international bribery and corruption cases.
- The case underscores the role of overseas assets and luxury spending in Nigeria’s historical graft scandals.
- Financial pressures on contractors reveal collateral damage in corruption networks involving powerful figures.
- The trial continues to highlight systemic governance challenges and the transnational nature of grand corruption.
Mulcahy’s testimony adds granular detail to the prosecution’s narrative of a lavish lifestyle allegedly sustained through bribes, reinforcing the UK’s role in pursuing accountability for grand corruption linked to Nigeria.
Sources: The Cable, Punch
