Ibori’s Sister Convicted (Ex-Delta gov rejects verdict )

Money Laundering

Former Governor of Delta State Chief James Ibori has more to worry about as his sister was yesterday convicted of money laundering and mortgage fraud in the United Kingdom. A UK jury found Christine Ibori-Ibie guilty of 12 charges. She was said to have helped Ibori embezzle Delta State funds into his UK account to the tune of $101.5 million.

But the former governor has in a statement signed by his Media Assistant Tony Eluemunor rejected the judgment. He said the defense would appeal. AP reported that one of the former governor's assistants was acquitted while the trial of a third accused continues tomorrow.
Ibori questioned why only his sister was found guilty out of several people that stood trial.

In the statement, he said: “It is a fact that she (Ibori's sister) was the only one that exercised her right of not giving evidence during the trial; her legal team had decided that the Prosecution’s case against her was so weak that there was no need whatsoever for her to take the witness stand. Ibori recalls for the record that his sister Mrs. Christine Ibori-Ibie, Ms. Udoamaka Okoronkwo and Ms. Adebimkpe Pogoson were faced with the same money laundering charges of counts one to four during the trial.

"The charges against the others were rightly dropped for want of evidence. The rest charges against Mrs. Ibie were mortgage-related. But in continuation of the political persecution against Ibori, his sister has now been found guilty while others were rightly found innocent. To Ibori, this is a clear notice that every member of his family is under the same political attack that has been buffeting him, and that the rules would be bent to do his family members in for all the accused should have been declared innocent."

The former governor argued that no evidence of money laundering or corruption was found against his sister. The proceeds of crime, he claimed, was not found. According to him, the fact that Ibori-Ibie did not mount the witness stand, as advised by her lawyers to defend herself, should not be the reason why she should be found guilty on all counts.

Furthermore, he said that the evidence provided by the prosecution was destroyed on cross-examination. He stated that even the judge had last week declared that the mortgage charges were "not safe".
Ibori said he is confident that "justice will be done" because in his view, there is an international persecution against him emanating from Nigeria. He went on to state that he and his family members are unjustly haunted.

"Though a mighty international attempt orchestrated from Nigeria is on to make his family members pay heavily for the public service he rendered to Delta state just because of crass politics, through distortion of facts and media lynching, he nevertheless remains confident that in the end, justice would be done and the innocent would not be unduly victimized; that is why the defence will stoutly appeal this case and ensure that real justice is done and this miscarriage of justice is not allowed to stand," he stated.
Ibori was last month arrested in Dubai on a warrant of arrest issued by the UK. He was later granted bail but cannot leave the country according to the bail terms. He was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) shortly before he left for the Middle Eastern country.

He is also wanted in the UK for money laundering charges. It was reported that the UK authorities are working in conjunction with UAE to extradite him to London since both countries have an extradition agreement.
EFCC Chairman Farida Waziri also stated that Nigeria is collaborating with the two countries with the hope that Ibori would be returned to his home country to face charges, after he is released by the UK authorities.

EFCC claims Ibori used Delta State shares in Oceanic bank for personal purposes. The former governor however, said he is being politically persecuted.It was also reported that he had applied for political asylum in Dubai based on this.
A judge dismissed a 170-count fraud case against Ibori in December last year.

Supporters of Nigeria ex-governor Ibori attack police

Police trying to arrest a former state governor in Nigeria charged with corruption have been attacked by his supporters, police say.

Officers were ambushed in Oghara, the hometown of James Ibori in Delta state.

Mr Ibori has been accused of corruption and money laundering while in office by Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

On Tuesday, the inspector general of police ordered the arrest of Mr Ibori within 24 hours.

The police spokesperson told the BBC the attack would not prevent the authorities from carrying out their "constitutional mandate" to arrest Mr Ibori.

On Monday, Mr Ibori's supporters blocked roads leading into Oghara to protest against the EFCC's charges against the ex-governor of the oil-rich state.

This is not the first time the EFCC has tried to prosecute Mr Ibori.

In December 2009, a court in Asaba cleared Mr Ibori of 170 charges of corruption - involving the laundering of millions of dollars - because there was no clear evidence to convict.

The EFCC has been at the centre of a political storm in recent years - dogged by allegations of political bias.