A former building contractor on Thursday gave detailed testimony about the renovation and upkeep of high-value London properties allegedly linked to Nigeria’s former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, as her bribery trial entered a fifth day at Southwark Crown Court.
Tony Mulcahy, a former director of Bear Rock Construction Ltd., told the court his company carried out major refurbishment works between 2011 and 2014 on several London properties allegedly used by Alison-Madueke and her family. His testimony was supported by emails, text messages and financial records shown to the jury.
Mulcahy said Bear Rock was engaged by Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko to oversee extensive renovations at 39 Chester Close North in 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 issues. He said the top floor was designated for the former minister’s son and that the total cost of the work was about £2 million.
He told jurors he had direct contact with Alison-Madueke, including meetings at the properties to review stone samples and fabric swatches. Text messages exchanged in early 2014 about lighting choices were also shown, and Mulcahy confirmed he had her personal mobile phone number.
A significant portion of his evidence focused on financial difficulties caused by late or incomplete payments from Aluko. Mulcahy described repeated requests for funds and unfulfilled promises, saying that by December 2013 his company was “on the brink,” which he explained meant facing collapse.
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. The payment was made shortly afterward, he said.
The court heard that financial strain continued into 2014. In April, Mulcahy emailed Aluko saying unpaid bills were “ruining us” and asked whether he should contact Alison-Madueke directly. He said Aluko advised him to write a formal letter to the former minister, which 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 testified that Aluko arranged a meeting with him at One Hyde Park, one of London’s most expensive residential addresses. “It really annoyed me,” Mulcahy said, adding that Aluko still owed him money at the time.
Emails shown to the jury suggested that Aluko’s company, Tenka Ltd., managed expenses for properties used by Alison-Madueke, including staff salaries, utilities and maintenance. One internal email from May 2013 instructed staff to replace references to “HM” — understood to mean “Honourable Minister” — with “clients” in account records.
Mulcahy said he later tried to recover outstanding debts through Donald Amamgbo, described in court as a lawyer, but 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 related to alleged bribery. All three have pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutor Alexandra Healy told jurors that Alison-Madueke “lived a life of luxury in London,” which prosecutors allege was supported by business figures seeking influence in Nigeria’s oil sector. She said the alleged bribes were not paid in cash but through luxury goods and access to expensive properties.
Defense lawyers have argued that Alison-Madueke did not have direct authority over the award of oil contracts and acted only as a “rubber stamp” for decisions taken by other agencies. They have also said delays in the investigation harmed the defense because key financial records are no longer available.
Prosecutors have previously told the court that Alison-Madueke allegedly spent about £140,000 on luxury furniture and art in a single day at a high-end London antiques store, with the purchases allegedly paid for through intermediaries.
Mulcahy is expected to continue his testimony when the trial resumes.
Supporters from Nigeria’s Ijaw community were present in the public gallery during the proceedings. The Ijaw National Congress has publicly expressed solidarity with Alison-Madueke, describing her as “our daughter” and voicing concern over the length of her legal ordeal, which has lasted more than a decade.
INC President Benjamin Okaba said the group’s support reflected broader grievances over oil production and underdevelopment in the Niger Delta, warning that without reforms in the management of the oil sector, lasting peace and development in the region would remain elusive.
