iykrion:


Part of the wind of change blowing in Nigeria
Na wah ooo!

How Attorney General, Michael Aondokaa stopped Ibori's case in London, Southwark Crown Court unfreezes his assets

Last View on Tue 2nd October, 2007
Last Modified on Tue 02nd October, 2007 3:43:31 am
Author: Admin Sahara



Attorney General, Michael Aondokaa stops Ibori's case
in London, Southwark Crown Court unfreezes his assets
By Saharareporters

Efforts by Nigeria's Attorney General, Michael Aondaokaa, to sabotage the prosecution of corrupt former and serving governors and other public officials bore big fruit in a London Court earlier today.

The Southwark Crown Court sitting in London earlier today lifted the restraining order placed on the worldwide assets of James Ibori, former Delta State governor. The court had on August 2, 2007 issued a freeze order on Ibori's worldwide assets estimated at $35 million. The ruling came as a result of a money laundering case the Metropolitan Police brought against the former governor.

In reviewing the order today, the court decided against granting more time to the Metropolitan Police,and therefore lifted the order.

Saharareporters has reliably learnt that Ibori's high-priced lawyers used a letter from Aondoakaa as a trump card to secure their temporary legal victory.
The court's decision to unfreeze Ibori's assets followed a cleverly crafted response to Ibori’s lawyers dated August 7th, 2007 issued by Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa in which he was replying to inquiries by James Ibori’s lawyers seeking to find out if he –Ibori-was being investigated by any agency of the Nigerian government.


The letter, a reply to this bogus inquiry, asserted that the Nigerian government did not regard Ibori as a subject of any money laundering investigations at present, though it admitted that the former governor was investigated while he was in office.

"Ibori got off on the basis of Aondoakaa's blatant lie," said one irate commentator, a London-based professional who is originally from Delta State who was present in court. "The AGF knows that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has a dossier on the former Delta governor. Aondoakaa has is securing his legacy as the attorney general of the corrupt leagues," he added.

Not only did Aondoakaa present a false testament to the British court, we have also learned that the content of the letter was not disclosed to the Metropolitan Police or their lawyers. Instead, Ibori's lawyers presented the letter in court at the hearing today. It was a joker that the judge could not ignore.

Saharareporters had reported in the past about the existence of a letter or affidavit issued by Attorney General Aondoakaa to exonerate Ibori and help him beat his rap in London.

Though the Press Bureau of the Metropolitan Police has not issued an official public statement on today's ruling, Saharareporters learnt that the British Foreign office and the police are meeting to come up with a plan to appeal the ruling. An anonymous source at the Mets told our reporters that "the odds are great that this will be appealed at a higher court."

Sources at the EFCC said the anti-graft agency was in shock over the ruling and the reported role of the Attorney General in the case. They vowed that the case in London will not interfere with their on-going investigations of Ibori in Nigeria. The EFCC source told Saharareporters that they have reached a stage at their local investigations that they can arrest and prosecute James Ibori whenever he returns to Nigeria. The London Metropolitan Police source also said the investigations of Ibori's corruption continues, they cited the case of his sister, Christine Ibie, mistress , Amaka Okoronkwo and his former assistant, Adebimpe Pogoson as a testimony of their determination to nail James Ibori, these three close relatives of James Ibori were recently re-bailed from Met's custody and are scheduled to return in November for possible prosecution.

Several weeks ago, fearing that the EFCC was about to arrest him, Ibori slipped out of Nigeria and headed first for South Africa and then to the U.S. He has since being living in Miami, Florida. Last week, he sneaked into New York where he met with Yar'adua to discuss his return to Nigeria. A source at that secret meetings said Yar'adua had assured Ibori that if he can clear "the London mess," he should feel free to return to Nigeria anytime as the government would then rely on an on-going court case involving Ibori and Delta State elders at the Appeal Court to stall further investigations by the EFCC.

Before leaving the US, where he had addressed the UN Special Assembly, Yar'adua confirmed in interviews that he met with some of his former corrupt colleagues in New York, saying he didn't see anything wrong with it. However, he denied ever interfering with the current anti-corruption investigation of his former colleagues.

The Ibori case will test Yar'adua's credibility. A source close to Ibori said the former governor continues to brag that Yar'adua has no option but to shield him, noting that Yar'adua's stolen mandate was made possible by the N10 billion of Delta State funds that the former governor funneled into the
presidential campaign.

Meanwhile, Saharareporters has also learnt that a coalition of former governors facing corruption charges are pressuring Yar'adua to remove the EFCC's Nuhu Ribadu before the week runs out.

McKren:

Ibori obviously won this case because when London Met police came to visit the AGF Micheal Aondoakaa, the AGF simply refused to see London Met police but instead wrote a letter to Ibori's counsel stating that Ibori has no case to answer.

Thus the Judge at southwark crown court simply threw out the case for lack of strong evidence.

A clear example of fighting corruption through due process in President Yaradua's Nigeria.

All those dragging Ibori to court . . . . and I mean any court for that matter. . . . . are wasting
their precious time and energy. The man is loved by his people at home and in the diaspora.
So, why waste precious resources on nothing useful?

ono:

Truth be told, Ibori did extremely well in Delta, while he was governor of that state. Just go to the major towns and villages in Delta to see things for yourself.
All those dragging Ibori to court . . . . and I mean any court for that matter. . . . . are wasting their precious time and energy. The man is loved by his people at home and in the diaspora. So, why waste precious resources on nothing useful?

ono:

Truth be told, Ibori did extremely well in Delta, while he was governor of that state. Just go to the major towns and villages in Delta to see things for yourself.

All those dragging Ibori to court . . . . and I mean any court for that matter. . . . . are wasting their precious time and energy. The man is loved by his people at home and in the diaspora. So, why waste precious resources on nothing useful?

yvy1:

the street in front of my father's house in Agbor has never been tarred. The Lagos/Asaba road is a deathtrap. The road in front of Obi's palace was just graded and not tarred. After 8 years in power. Isn't Federalism all about bringing the government closer to the grassroots? I'll reserve the insult of half current for the Federal Government

Please explain to me 'what is extremely well'

almondjoy:

The guy is in N'Djamena for christ's sake. How would he know?

Several weeks ago, fearing that the EFCC was about to arrest him, Ibori slipped out of Nigeria and headed first for South Africa and then to the US. He has since being living in Miami, Florida. Last week, he sneaked into New York where he met with Yar'adua to discuss his return to Nigeria. A source at that secret meetings said Yar'adua had assured Ibori that if he can clear "the London mess,"

almondjoy:

Yes!  To Ibori, everything ends in Warri to the detriment of other areas in delta state.

almondjoy:

Please all these so-called projects mentioned by Ono are ghost projects.

almondjoy:

Some are still waiting for evidence of his guilt or innocence,  Where in the world did he amass wealth coming to 35 million pounds?  Has anyone seen his estates in London?   Someone of abject obscurity 8 years ago.  A cab driver in London and a bouncer at a night club?  His political birth is worrrisome--from a legacy of obscurity.  A former-Abacha boy!

McKren:

I think Nigerians should wake up from slumber!!!!!!!!!!!

People should stop calling for Aondoakaa's sack and[b] start attacking President Yaradua' s anti-corruption policies,[/b] how difficult is it to understand this President's sloppiness in the fight against corruption.

Aondoakaa is simply doing Yaradua's dirty job.

ono:

1.0
Warri is at the heart of Delta State. That place deserves all the attention it can get. You sound like someone from the northern part of Delta.

Well, as far as I am concerned, the Anioma area of Delta state is a separate state of it's own. I'll say it's a part of Anambra State. The people over there had better ask for their own state -

another Edo state? from the FG. I say this not because I have anything against the Aniomas; but because of what I've read about the utterances of the leaders of that area in the past. And that's an entirely different subject of discussion.

2.0Well, let them be ghost project. I was at Bomadi a couple of years back. And I saw that Bomadi bridge commissioned by OBJ and reputed to be one of the biggest project ever embarked upon by any state government. It might be a ghost project to you; but I know the Ijaws called Ibori their [b]Deputy Governor General of Ijawland for that feat.[/b]


If Asaba and environs did not benefit from the present arrangement, you'd better search inward and know where your people have gone astray.

3.0
You seem to know so much about Ibori's pasts. Those ones you've dug out are stale. Bring up something pretty fresh.

osereka:

YOU MEAN NA MALLAM YARADUA GO FIRST DIE?
nna you wicked o

almondjoy:

I am not from Delta state --- It does not really make a difference anyway. The good news is that with all the stolen wealth in Delta state all the people of warri can boast of is armed robbery and toutism.  Educational achievement is at an all time low in the warri area.  You think God is asleep.  Nothing to show for it.  As the youths take to the favorite past time of ravaging and looting the environment.  The area headquarters of Nigeria.  Nothing good comes out of there so why should I be bothered?  

Let us not forget the work ethics.  Area fathers provide for their young ones there and so no need to procure any gainful employment.  So the money stolen by Ibori and co will keep being wasted for salvaging the lives of touts that will never see any future besides stealing and looting.  No need to wait for God's punishment.  They are receiving it here on earth for being the chosen ones of "areaness" in Nigeria!!!

As for the residents of Anioma and Asaba or whatever they call themselves--they are also getting their just rewards.  It is tha Nigerian symdrome of complete social  and moral decadence in the stinking poitics of Nigeria.  I am only a devils advocate and do not really care what happens to Nigerians who cannot take control of their furture. let them all burn.