Ibori appeals $130m fraud conviction in UK

Former Governor of Delta State, Onanfe James Ibori has renewed legal battle over his incarceration in the United Kingdom and freezing of his assets worth 90 million Pounds ($130 million). The former Delta Governor was in gaol for years in UK after pleading guilty to money laundering and looting of Delta State Government treasury. Ibori on Wednesday filed an appeal, challenging his conviction and incarceration in the UK, seeking the upturn of the judgment that found him guilty. He protested corruption in the ranks of British police.

Ibori was convicted in 2012 after he pleaded guilty to 10 counts of fraud and money laundering. The former governor’s legal counsel now turned to allege that one of the British police officers who investigated Ibori took bribes in 2007 from a private detective, hired by a British law firm working for Ibori, in return for inside information about the police investigation.

The lawyers alleged that British anti-corruption police who were supposed to investigate the alleged bribery instead covered it up to avoid scuppering Ibori’s trial and tarnishing the reputation of the police.

All the people against whom allegations of corruption or bad faith have been made were said to have denied all allegations.

Meanwhile, Ibori’s appeal hearing, said to be before three judges at London’s Court of Appeal, will be determined within three days.

Ibori is battling to avert the dispossession or recovery of assets worth 90 million pounds ($130 million) which were frozen by the British Government. The British Government is expected to return the confiscated assets to the Nigerian Government. However, if Ibori succeeds in upturning his conviction in the UK, he would regain the confiscated assets.

The former governor was expected to provide evidence of his case on Wednesday via video-link from Nigeria. He was said to have appeared briefly on a screen in court but the connection broke down and could not be restored. The court was told that power failure in Nigeria caused the video disconnect.

The judges instructed that a new attempt be made to establish a video-link to Ibori on Thursday (today).

Ibori was Governor of Delta State 1999 to 2007. He was considered one of the most powerful politicians in Nigeria and lived a flamboyant millionaire lifestyle, with properties and luxury cars in several countries. It was alleged that at the time of his arrest in UK, Ibori has concluded arrangements to buy a $20 million private jet.

Ibori was released from prison in December 2016 after serving half of his 13-year incarceration. He returned to Nigeria in February 2017 and received a hero welcome from his people.

The courts in Nigeria, precisely the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, had in their respective judgments, dismissed the corruption charges brought against the former Delta State governor. Ibori’s travail began after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest Ibori dead or alive and make him face prosecution for corruption.

Ibori fled Nigeria for Dubai. After few months of hiding in the UAE, the former governor was arrested by the Metropolitan police and was made to face prosecution in the UK.