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Finally, Ibori appeals against his conviction in UK Court

By Joseph Onyekwere
20 March 2017   |   4:23 am
Former governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori has now filed a full appeal in the British Court of Appeal against his conviction in 2012.

James Ibori

Former governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori has now filed a full appeal in the British Court of Appeal against his conviction in 2012.

The two-term governor had received a 13-year jail sentence after admitting fraud of nearly £50 million in 2012 in the United Kingdom.

He pleaded guilty to offences relating to conspiracy to launder funds from the state, substantive counts of money laundering and one count of obtaining money transfer by deception and fraud.

He was released in December 2016, after four years in prison in Britain, but prosecutors have since admitted they have documents suggesting police officers involved in the case took bribes. Based on this revelation, he is appealing against his conviction, claiming the Metropolitan Police investigation was itself mired in corruption.

Ibori’s counsel informed the Southwark London court on Friday, March 17, 2017, that they have filed the appeal on Ibori’s behalf, a statement from Ibori’s Media Assistant, Tony Eluemunor revealed.

Consequently, the court indefinitely adjourned the on-going proceedings concerning the second confiscation hearing.

The original three-week confiscation hearing before Judge Anthony Pitts in September 2013 was unable to make any findings on theft from Delta State, Eluemunor said.

“The British Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has, since February 2016, been undertaking a mammoth disclosure exercise and so far substantial material evidencing the police corruption and misconduct has been disclosed. The CPS has gagged the media from reporting on this.

“David Rose of the London Mail and Sunday newspaper as well as other reporters have made applications in open court for the release of this material.

“Mr. Rose, for instance, argued it is in the public interest to do so, as Ibori and linked cases are said to have been corrupted by Metropolitan Police, prosecution misconduct and significant non-disclosure of key material which undermines the convictions,” the politician insisted.

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