London Court Hears Contractor’s Account Of Luxury Renovations Linked To Diezani

A former UK building contractor has told a London court about extensive renovation works on luxury properties allegedly linked to Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, as her bribery trial continued at Southwark Crown Court.

Tony Mulcahy, a former director of Bear Rock Construction Ltd, said his firm carried out major refurbishment projects between 2011 and 2014 on high-value London homes allegedly used by Alison-Madueke and her family, following instructions from Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko.

He told the jury that one of the properties, located on Chester Close North, underwent extensive work costing about £2m, including the installation of a residential lift due to mobility challenges faced by Alison-Madueke’s mother, while the top floor was designated for her son.

Mulcahy said he dealt directly with Alison-Madueke, meeting her to review materials such as stone finishes and fabric samples. Text messages exchanged in early 2014 over lighting choices were shown in court, and he confirmed he had her personal phone number.

A central part of his evidence focused on delayed and incomplete payments, which he said placed his company under severe financial strain. By late 2013, Mulcahy told the court, Bear Rock Construction was close to collapse due to unpaid bills.

He said a promised £200,000 payment failed to arrive on time, prompting the firm to withhold a large Harrods delivery as leverage, after which the money was paid. Payment problems continued into 2014, leading Mulcahy to consider contacting Alison-Madueke directly.

Mulcahy said he later hand-delivered a formal letter to her London residence after advice from Aluko, and that a payment of £270,000 followed about a week later through Aluko’s company, Atlantic Energy. Despite this, Bear Rock Construction eventually entered voluntary liquidation. Mulcahy also told the court that despite the saga, Aluko once arranged a meeting with him at One Hyde Park, one of London’s most expensive addresses. “It really annoyed me. Here is a man who is owing me money, and he invites me to meet him at One Hyde Park,” he said.

Alison-Madueke, alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother, Doye Agama, has pleaded not guilty to five counts linked to alleged bribery. Prosecutors claim luxury renovations and services amounted to bribes, while the defence insists the arrangements were lawful and that she lacked direct power over oil contract awards.