London Money Laundering Trial: Theresa Ibori Breaks Down, Disowns Husband In London Court
It was a dramatic and highly emotional day at a court in London as Theresa Nkoyo Ibori, the estranged wife of former Governor James Onanefe Ibori of Delta State, took him to the cleaners in her first day on the witness stand at her trial alongside Ibori's London lawyer, Bhadresh Gohil.

Mrs. Ibori was brought before Judge Rivlin at 10.30 a.m. at the Southwark Crown Court in London. Looking subdued, the former Delta State First Lady was called to the witness stand to testify on seven counts of money-laundering preferred against her and Mr. Gohil, Ibori's UK-based lawyer.

After swearing on the Holy Bible, Mrs. Ibori gave her personal information and background information before she was grilled on the source of her husband’s wealth. She repeated the often mouthed answer that Ibori got wealthy long before he became governor of Delta state. She claimed that her husband’s wealth came from contracts and consultancy jobs he did in Lagos State and for the late General Sani Abacha regime.

As the proceedings continued, however, Mrs. Ibori testified that she had been married to a man of many secrets, stating that she knew absolutely nothing about her husband’s secrets until the money-laundering trial began in London. She said she knew of some of her husband’s past legal troubles, but also testified that she did not know about some of his alleged crimes until her own prosecution began.

Prosecutors asked questions regarding her relationship with Mr. Ibori’s, focusing on his numerous extra-marital affairs with several “big girls” in Nigeria.

She told the court that it was not until 2003 that she decided she had had enough and left the marriage. She stated that she returned to Nigeria in 2004 to attend Mr. Ibori’s mother’s funeral. At the funeral, she said she received "a big blow” when an unknown young-faced lady came over and knelt to greet her. It was then that Ibori’s uncle disclosed the big secret that “the lady before you is Uju (referring to Uju Ononiba) who had given birth to Ibori’s heir,” a male child.

After she gave this account, Mrs. Ibori broke down in the witness box, sobbed and mopped tears from her face. The court took a 45-minute break to enable her to get herself together.

When the session resumed, prosecutors questioned her about the purchase of their £2.2 million family home in Hampstead, London, as well as other properties she and her husband had acquired using the names of companies Ibori had bought. She responded that the real estate transactions were “for tax benefits”.




She was also questioned about several of her husband’s bank accounts, his setting up of an American Intercontinental Depository Trust (AIDT), and the several companies he used to move money from Citizens Bank in Nigeria.

The most intriguing part of the whole court session had to do with Mr. Ibori’s American Express Centurion credit card. Mrs. Ibori said she did not know about the card through which her husband racked up many expenses, including plane tickets to such spots as Las Vegas, Hollywood, Dubai, Paris, Johannesburg, London, Berlin and Florida. Details from the credit card indicated that Mr. Ibori splashed money on Louis Vuitton bags, Ritz in Paris, casinos in Vegas, expensive alcohol, partying in Harley Street London. Mrs. Ibori testified that her husband was known to gallivant around the spots with a variety of women, insisting that she did not have a taste of the expenditures.

Mrs. Ibori told the court that she had not had any intimate relationship with her husband in a very long time, stating that he hardly paid attention to her even while they were together.

The cross-examination of Mrs. Ibori continues tomorrow and may last into Wednesday.
http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/london-money-laundering-trial-theresa-ibori-breaks-down-disowns-husband-london-court
SaharaReporters is working on a transcript of the cross-examination

ROTFLMAO

It is now OYO.

Mrs Ibori wants us to believe she has not had anything to do with Mr/Chief Ibori since she left him in 2003?? Bollocks to that ma'am. Bollocks!

bullshit!! women and their pranks of tears

Hmmm

Real friends are known in times of trouble,the fact that they are not together for now is not enough to deny someone you claim you love and get married to. On the other hand,this might be a gimmick to escape the axe of the law. Let justice prevail.

Na wa wo! Na for better for best.

what a stupid bitch, has she forgotten that she had affairs as well. What about the £340M oli deal she was involved in. They should both rot in hell.

she is going by what her brief has told her to say.and do(sobbing) so not surprising.

The iboris are trying to scam the court; pretend that the couple is at war so they don't lose "entirely". James ibori knows that once convicted he loses all his assets, so the only way he sees to save anything is to cast himself and his wife as enemies so that hopefully she gets acquitted and gets to keep wuteva property the government is claiming is hers. That way when he's back out he won't live in utter penury.

There is no way either would get out easily. They are both big thieves and should be held accountable. Nkoyo is not better than her husband, the full story will break soon, dont worry.