LAGOS, - Former governor of Delta State, James Ibori has denied ever pleading guilty to corruption and fraud charges at a London court.


Speaking through his media assistant, Tony Eluemunor, who told reporters that James Ibori pleaded guilty to money laundering charges because he was trying to protect the integrity and image of Nigeria; a move to prevent a prolonged and further dragged matter after 9 years legal battle with authorities and also in order to enable the former Governor to start a life rebuilding process.

He said “the world was made to believe that Ibori’s guilty plea was a sudden turn around and not a well-deliberated act that was part of a plea bargain deal. But it’s on record that several Nigerian newspapers and media houses as of last Sunday published different versions of that story, that Ibori would plead guilty as part of a plea bargain arrangement"

“Of course, that plea bargain deal would only kick in with Ibori’s pleading guilty, which he did on Monday. After that plea, which had been successfully foretold by Nigerian newspapers, both the prosecution and the defence counsel were to return on April 16 and 17 to make their needed statements” Tony Eluemunor lamented

“What was not clear to Nigerians was that the prosecution lawyers were labouring at damage control as the publication in several newspapers that leaked the secret out never disclosed that the seven-year investigation against Ibori had not only cost the British taxpayer £14 million but was funded by the Department of Foreign Development"

According to him, James Ibori has not pleaded guilty to any corruption charge(s) and that any of such is nothing but propaganda and was subsequently dropped by the London Metropolitan Police for lack of evidence.


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