Ex-Delta governor, James Ibori, loses appeal against corruption conviction by UK's government
Wed Oct 17, 2018 09:59:am National
3.2K By Obiaks Blog
Former Delta state governor, James Ibori's appeal against his conviction, alleging that one of the London police officers who had investigated him was himself corrupt and that the prosecution had covered that up, was ruled against by London's Court of Appeal on Wednesday.
In it ruling, the three appeal judges said that the corruption of the police officer in question was irrelevant to Ibori's conviction and as well as unproven.
They also noted that if there was any such corrupt practice by the office, Ibori had instigated it.
"If (the policeman) was corrupt, Ibori was the instigator or at the very least intimately involved in any such corruption," their written ruling said.
"Regardless of any disclosure failures on the part of the Crown (prosecutors), Ibori was thoroughly informed on this topic prior to his pleas of guilty."
Ibori was convicted on 10 counts of fraud and money-laundering involving sums amounting to at least 50 million pounds ($66 million) after pleading guilty in a London court in 2012 leading to a 13-year jail sentencing, which he served half of, as is common in the British system.
This ruling by the Court of Appeals will allow the resumption of efforts by British prosecutors to confiscate and return assets, frozen for years (worth tens of millions of dollars) to Nigeria's government's purse.
In it ruling, the three appeal judges said that the corruption of the police officer in question was irrelevant to Ibori's conviction and as well as unproven.
They also noted that if there was any such corrupt practice by the office, Ibori had instigated it.
"If (the policeman) was corrupt, Ibori was the instigator or at the very least intimately involved in any such corruption," their written ruling said.
"Regardless of any disclosure failures on the part of the Crown (prosecutors), Ibori was thoroughly informed on this topic prior to his pleas of guilty."
Ibori was convicted on 10 counts of fraud and money-laundering involving sums amounting to at least 50 million pounds ($66 million) after pleading guilty in a London court in 2012 leading to a 13-year jail sentencing, which he served half of, as is common in the British system.
This ruling by the Court of Appeals will allow the resumption of efforts by British prosecutors to confiscate and return assets, frozen for years (worth tens of millions of dollars) to Nigeria's government's purse.
Related News
Leave a comment...