AGF CHANGES GEAR: Ibori: I won’t cooperate with UK - Aondoakaa - Says ‘My critics are illiterates’

Lanre Adewole and Kolawole Daniel, Abuja - 29.09.2009

THERE appears to be a twist to the London trial of former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), on Monday, said he could not grant the request for assistance from Britain on the prosecution of the former governor and some of his relatives for money laundering at a Southwark Crown Court.

Britain had through the Metropolitan Police, asked Nigeria, through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release 25 officers with the commission as witnesses in the trial in London.

A Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) exists between the two countries to assist each other in the prosecution of trans-border criminal case. The minister had penultimate Sunday backpedalled on his refusal to release the EFCC witnesses to testify in London, saying that he had no power to stop any Nigerian from exercising his constitutional right to testify anywhere.

Last Wednesday, he reportedly endorsed a formal request by the anti-graft agency seeking the release of the 25 witnesses. But Aondoakaa told journalists in Abuja on Monday that Nigeria did not owe Britain or any other country legal assistance in the prosecution of Nigerians abroad, because the Western world had also not been forthcoming on such requests from Nigeria.

He also described his critics as illiterates. The minister who spoke while fielding questions from newsmen after the inauguration of the National Committee on Torture, stated, “are you saying Nigeria is answerable to other countries? Are you saying that whenever any request is made by any country I have no right to review it? Such request is an indictment of the country’s security and judicial system.”

He added that, “when I requested for evidence from UK on Halliburton scandal, I was told to wait, the same thing from France and Switzerland, they are yet to comply.”

However, in his statement penultimate Sunday, the minister had said “On the issue of 25 witnesses needed by the Met Police, nobody has brought that information to my notice and immediately I saw the publication in the papers today, I contacted the Secretary of the EFCC, Mr. Emmanuel Akomaye, who said they will be bringing whatever they have got from the Metropolitan Police on the next working day as regards the witnesses to testify in Ibori’s case.

“I have no request on my desk in relation to these witnesses. As soon as my office receives the request, it will be treated with dispatch and as the law requires

“Let me make it clear on record that every Nigerian has a constitutional right of free movement and freedom of expression and therefore, the office of the AGF will not breach the constitution by stopping anybody from testifying before any tribunal or court in Nigeria or outside, including the UK. That is the true fact.

“Lastly, these people are witnesses, they are not accused persons and they have a right to go anywhere to give oral testimony. “So, the issue of trying to blackmail people and trying to create sensation does not arise. I will never prevent any Nigerian from testifying.”

The guy is a bloody punk. Justice must be served, i dont give one piss about him.