[size=14pt]Ibori Petitions AGF Over Alleged EFCC Manhunt[/size]
Tue Apr, 13 2010



FORMER Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, has petitioned the Attorney General of the Federation over reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun a manhunt for him in connection with a petition on his transaction in the Ascot-Wilbros matter, which took place while he was in office.

Despite the fact that the Delta State Government had cleared him, a report bySaturday Punch indicated that that the anti-graft agency has re-opened investigation into the matter and wants the former governor to appear to make a fresh statement.

In a letter by his lawyers J.B. Daudu and Co. to the EFCC, copied the AGF, Ibori reminded the body of series of efforts to investigate him on various allegations, all of which had come to nothing and wondered what would have necessitated another effort.

“It is a matter of public record and judicial decisions that you have on behalf of the Attorney General vigorously investigated every aspect of our client’s tenure as governor of Delta State and failed to find any crime committed inclusive of allegations of conspiracy, official corruption, diversion and misappropriation of public funds, stealing and money laundering for the period of 29th May 1999 to 29th May, 2007.

“That the said investigation was predicated upon the instruction of the first respondent and the petition of various persons, including, but not limited to a group christened “Concerned Elders and Citizens of Delta State.”

The said investigation covered among other issues the purchase of Wilbros by Ascot and the role of the applicant in respect thereof.”

The petitioner also reminded the anti-graft body that the matter had been dismissed in court, for which the Commission, dissatisfied had gone on appeal in Benin, wondering why it would not subject itself to a process it had begun and allow it to run its full judicial course.

In very simple term, elementary terms, Ibori’s lawyer said, “What your organization is doing by seeking to reinvestigate a matter you have already investigated and charged to court and for which the alleged offender has been discharged (which in this instance amounts to acquittal) amounts not only to complete infraction of the Nigerian Constitution but is a breach of our client’s fundamental human rights.

“Nowhere in the world, except of course, in some notorious banana republics is the rule of law and constitutionality trampled upon so aggressively as you are doing in this instance.”

Arguing that the commission should have done a thorough investigation on the matter before going to court to avoid running foul of the principle of double jeopardy, they regretted a situation where it had begun criminalising the former governor on the pages of newspapers without any formal invitation to clear his name.

The letter, signed by J.B. Dauda (SAN), threatened to head to court to seek judicial redress should any attempt be made by the EFCC “merely because you control the coercive forces” to interfere with Ibori’s liberty.

Daily Independent had reported of an alleged concerted pressure from both Ibori’s traducers in his state, championed by Chief Edwin Clark and the Presidency with the full knowledge of Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan on the EFCC to cage the former governor ahead of 2011 elections.

http://www.thetimesofnigeria.com/Article.aspx?id=2544

[size=14pt]Jail![/size]

odidigborigbo of africa. omg.

when he was working against jonathan goodluck he didnt know. pikin wey say im papa no go sleep him too no go sleep too

Sweetie, you should know better than duplicate a topic


https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-429482.0.html