A former building contractor has given detailed testimony about the renovation and management of high-value London properties linked to Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, as her bribery trial continued for a fifth day at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Tony Mulcahy, a former director of Bear Rock Construction Ltd, told the court that his company carried out major refurbishment works between 2011 and 2014 on several properties allegedly used by Alison-Madueke and her family.
His evidence, supported by emails and financial records shown to the jury, described a business relationship with Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko that was marked by repeated payment delays.
Mulcahy said Bear Rock was engaged by Aluko to oversee extensive renovations at 39 Chester Close North, London.
Floor plans presented in court showed the installation of a residential lift, which Mulcahy said was required because the intended occupant, Alison-Madueke’s mother, had mobility challenges.
He added that the top floor was designated for the minister’s son and that the total cost of work on the property was about £2m.
He told the jury he had direct contact with Alison-Madueke, meeting her at properties to review materials such as stone samples and fabric swatches.
Text messages exchanged in early 2014 about lighting choices were also shown in court, and Mulcahy confirmed he had her personal mobile number.
A major part of Mulcahy’s evidence focused on financial difficulties caused by late or incomplete payments from Aluko.
He described a cycle of repeated requests for funds and unfulfilled promises. By December 2013, Mulcahy said his company was “on the brink,” which he explained meant “going under.”
After Aluko promised a £200,000 payment that did not arrive on time, Mulcahy said Bear Rock withheld a large Harrods delivery in storage as “leverage” to recover its money.
The £200,000 was paid shortly afterwards.
The court heard that the financial strain continued into 2014. In April of that year, Mulcahy emailed Aluko saying unpaid bills were “ruining us” and asked whether he should contact Alison-Madueke directly.
Aluko reportedly advised him to write a formal letter to the former minister, which Mulcahy said he hand-delivered to her residence at St Edmund’s Terrace. A payment of £270,000 followed about a week later through Aluko’s company, Atlantic Energy.
Mulcahy also told the court that Aluko arranged a meeting with him at One Hyde Park, one of London’s most expensive addresses. “It really annoyed me,” he said.
“Here is a man who is owing me money, and he invites me to meet him at One Hyde Park,” Mulchay added.
Emails presented to the jury suggested that Aluko’s company, Tenka Limited, managed expenses for the properties Alison-Madueke used, including staff salaries, utilities and maintenance. One internal email from May 2013 instructed staff to replace references to “HM” (Honourable Minister) with “Clients” in account records.
Mulcahy said he later tried to resolve the mounting debts through Donald Amamgbo, introduced as a lawyer. Despite several meetings, Bear Rock Construction eventually entered voluntary liquidation.
Alison-Madueke, is standing trial alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother, Doye Agama, on five counts linked to alleged bribery. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Prosecuting counsel, Alexandra Healy, told the jury that Alison Madueke “lived a life of luxury in London,” adding that this lifestyle was allegedly supported by business figures seeking influence over Nigeria’s oil sector.
She said the alleged bribes were not given as cash, but as luxury goods and access to expensive properties.
Defence counsel has argued that Alison-Madueke had no direct power over the award of oil contracts and acted only as a “rubber stamp” for decisions made by other agencies.
Prosecutors further allege that the property renovations, along with luxury shopping and chauffeur services, amounted to bribes to Alison-Madueke from individuals whose companies benefited from oil sector contracts while she was in office.
The defence has rejected this claim, arguing that Alison-Madueke’s use of properties and goods paid for by associates formed part of lawful arrangements. They also say delays in the investigation have harmed their case because key financial records are no longer available.
In earlier hearings, prosecutors told the court that Alison-Madueke allegedly spent about £140,000 on luxury furniture and art in a single day.
According to prosecutors, the former minister made the purchases at a high-end antiques shop in London, where she bought bespoke lighting, premium furniture and decorative artworks.
The court was told that the items were allegedly paid for through intermediaries, not directly by Alison-Madueke.
Mulcahy is expected to continue his testimony when the trial resumes.
Meanwhile, supporters from the Ijaw community in Nigeria filled the public gallery of the London Court to follow the trial and show support to the former minister.
The Ijaw National Congress has also declared full solidarity for Alison-Madueke, describing her as “our daughter” and expressing concern over the prolonged nature of her legal ordeal, which has lasted for more than a decade.
Speaking for the Ijaw people, INC President Prof. Benjamin Okaba said the group was moved not only by her situation but also by wider grievances over oil production, management and underdevelopment in the Niger Delta.
Okaba said the Niger Delta suffers a troubling paradox in which communities that produce Nigeria’s oil wealth remain poor and underdeveloped. He warned that unless the structural problems in the oil industry and its management are addressed, peace and sustainable development in the South-South region will remain difficult to achieve.
On Alison-Madueke’s case, Okaba stressed that she remains an integral part of the Ijaw nation and enjoys the full backing of her people. He said the INC’s public intervention was meant to show that she is not alone and to draw attention to the human dimension of her prolonged legal struggle, which continues to worry the Ijaw community.
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