FORMER governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, was, on Tuesday,
jailed for 13 years by Judge Anthony Pitts of Southwark Crown Court,
London, United Kingdom (UK), for fraud totalling nearly £50 million
(about $77 million).
Ibori had admitted 10 counts of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering.
During his prosecution, Southwark Crown Court was told the amount he stole from the people of Delta State was "unquantified."
Before his extradition to the UK, Ibori, who evaded arrest in Nigeria after his supporters attacked police, was arrested in Dubai in 2010.
He was later extradited to the UK, where he was prosecuted based on evidence from the Metropolitan Police, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported.
One of the counts Ibori admitted related to a $37 million (£23 million) fraud pertaining to the sale of Delta State's share in V-mobile, a private telephone company in Nigeria.
He served as Delta State governor between May 1999 and May 2007.
Sasha Wass, Queen’s Counsel, told the court, on Tuesday, that Ibori "deliberately and systematically defrauded the people he was elected to represent.
"The court heard he came to the UK in the 1980s and worked as a cashier at a Wickes DIY store in Ruislip, North West London.
"He was convicted in 1991 of stealing from the store but then returned to Nigeria and began his climb up the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) network.
"When he ran for governor he lied about his date of birth to hide his criminal conviction in the UK - which would have prevented him standing for office."
Ibori, whose address was given as Primrose Hill, north London, claimed to be 53 but police in London said he is 49.
Sentencing him, Judge Anthony Pitts told Ibori: "You lived modestly in London in the 1990s and no one, I think hearing, at that time would imagine the multimillionaire highprofile governor that you became some eight or nine years later.
"It was during those two terms that you turned yourself in short order into a multimillionaire through corruption and theft in your powerful position as Delta State governor.”
After the hearing, Sue Patten, head of the Crown Prosecution Service central fraud group, said it would bid to confiscate the assets Ibori had acquired with his riches “at the expense of some of the poorest people in the world.”
International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, said: “James Ibori’s sentence sends a strong and important message to those who seek to use Britain as a refuge for their crimes.”
On Monday, the BBC’s Newsnight revealed an equity fund backed by the UK Department for International Development’s private enterprise arm, CDC Group, was being investigated by Nigerian officials.
It uncovered claims suggesting CDC Group put $47.5 million (£29.9 million) into the private fund, which invested in Nigerian companies allegedly linked to Ibori.
DfID said the allegations dated to 2009 and that CDC, which is overseen by Mitchell, always carried out “full and thorough checks” before investing in a fund manager.
As Ibori was sentenced, NGOs called for further investigation into how he managed to move his money through his British and US bank accounts.
Also, Global Witness called for a thorough investigation into British banks for their roles in the laundering of millions of pounds by Ibori.
According to the prosecutor, Sasha Wass, Ibori and his associates used multiple accounts at the banks to launder funds.
His wife, Theresa Ibori, sister, Christine Ibori-Idie, mistress, Udoamaka Okoronkwo and London-based solicitor, Bhadresh Gohil, had already been convicted of money laundering.
Meanwhile, foremost Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, said on Tuesday that the conviction of Ibori by a London Court has vindicated him (Clark) and his group, who had been championing his prosecution.
He, however, expressed mixed feelings on the prosecution of Ibori in London, noting that the conviction had dented the image of Delta State, the judiciary and the former Attorney-General of the Federation.
Reacting to the conviction of the former governor, Chief Clark noted that justice must take its course, while promising the same struggle against any governor in the state that stole the people’s money.
Chief Clark insisted that he had no regret over his role in campaigning for the prosecution of Chief Ibori for fraud, because corruption had been the cankerworm that hindered the growth and development of this nation.
He urged the Federal Government to refund the money to be retrieved for the convicted Chief Ibori to the Delta State government, for the growth and development of the people of the state, assuring that the money would be judiciously put into use.
Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, said Ibori would face fresh corruption charge in Nigeria, after serving his jail term in the UK.
A statement issued by the commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said “the EFCC received with happiness, news of the conviction of former governor of Delta State, Mr James Ibori, who was this morning sentenced to a 13-year jail term by a Southwark Crown Court in London.”
It said with the judgment, it was clear that there was no safe haven abroad for politically exposed persons, who looted state funds entrusted in their care.
“The commission expects Ibori to serve his term in the UK and return to Nigeria to face other criminal charges pending in courts,” the EFCC said.
Ibori had admitted 10 counts of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering.
During his prosecution, Southwark Crown Court was told the amount he stole from the people of Delta State was "unquantified."
Before his extradition to the UK, Ibori, who evaded arrest in Nigeria after his supporters attacked police, was arrested in Dubai in 2010.
He was later extradited to the UK, where he was prosecuted based on evidence from the Metropolitan Police, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported.
One of the counts Ibori admitted related to a $37 million (£23 million) fraud pertaining to the sale of Delta State's share in V-mobile, a private telephone company in Nigeria.
He served as Delta State governor between May 1999 and May 2007.
Sasha Wass, Queen’s Counsel, told the court, on Tuesday, that Ibori "deliberately and systematically defrauded the people he was elected to represent.
"The court heard he came to the UK in the 1980s and worked as a cashier at a Wickes DIY store in Ruislip, North West London.
"He was convicted in 1991 of stealing from the store but then returned to Nigeria and began his climb up the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) network.
"When he ran for governor he lied about his date of birth to hide his criminal conviction in the UK - which would have prevented him standing for office."
Ibori, whose address was given as Primrose Hill, north London, claimed to be 53 but police in London said he is 49.
Sentencing him, Judge Anthony Pitts told Ibori: "You lived modestly in London in the 1990s and no one, I think hearing, at that time would imagine the multimillionaire highprofile governor that you became some eight or nine years later.
"It was during those two terms that you turned yourself in short order into a multimillionaire through corruption and theft in your powerful position as Delta State governor.”
After the hearing, Sue Patten, head of the Crown Prosecution Service central fraud group, said it would bid to confiscate the assets Ibori had acquired with his riches “at the expense of some of the poorest people in the world.”
International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, said: “James Ibori’s sentence sends a strong and important message to those who seek to use Britain as a refuge for their crimes.”
On Monday, the BBC’s Newsnight revealed an equity fund backed by the UK Department for International Development’s private enterprise arm, CDC Group, was being investigated by Nigerian officials.
It uncovered claims suggesting CDC Group put $47.5 million (£29.9 million) into the private fund, which invested in Nigerian companies allegedly linked to Ibori.
DfID said the allegations dated to 2009 and that CDC, which is overseen by Mitchell, always carried out “full and thorough checks” before investing in a fund manager.
As Ibori was sentenced, NGOs called for further investigation into how he managed to move his money through his British and US bank accounts.
Also, Global Witness called for a thorough investigation into British banks for their roles in the laundering of millions of pounds by Ibori.
According to the prosecutor, Sasha Wass, Ibori and his associates used multiple accounts at the banks to launder funds.
His wife, Theresa Ibori, sister, Christine Ibori-Idie, mistress, Udoamaka Okoronkwo and London-based solicitor, Bhadresh Gohil, had already been convicted of money laundering.
Meanwhile, foremost Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, said on Tuesday that the conviction of Ibori by a London Court has vindicated him (Clark) and his group, who had been championing his prosecution.
He, however, expressed mixed feelings on the prosecution of Ibori in London, noting that the conviction had dented the image of Delta State, the judiciary and the former Attorney-General of the Federation.
Reacting to the conviction of the former governor, Chief Clark noted that justice must take its course, while promising the same struggle against any governor in the state that stole the people’s money.
Chief Clark insisted that he had no regret over his role in campaigning for the prosecution of Chief Ibori for fraud, because corruption had been the cankerworm that hindered the growth and development of this nation.
He urged the Federal Government to refund the money to be retrieved for the convicted Chief Ibori to the Delta State government, for the growth and development of the people of the state, assuring that the money would be judiciously put into use.
Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, said Ibori would face fresh corruption charge in Nigeria, after serving his jail term in the UK.
A statement issued by the commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said “the EFCC received with happiness, news of the conviction of former governor of Delta State, Mr James Ibori, who was this morning sentenced to a 13-year jail term by a Southwark Crown Court in London.”
It said with the judgment, it was clear that there was no safe haven abroad for politically exposed persons, who looted state funds entrusted in their care.
“The commission expects Ibori to serve his term in the UK and return to Nigeria to face other criminal charges pending in courts,” the EFCC said.
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