Former governor of Delta
State, Chief James Ibori, who
is facing a 10-count charge of
stealing, money laundering
and corruption at a London
court, yesterday, denied
pleading guilty to corruption
charges.
Ibori, in a statement signed
by his media assistant, Mr
Tony Eluemunor, also
explained why he pleaded
guilty to money laundering
charges, saying: “Ibori did not
want a long‑drawn trial where
Nigeria’s name would be
bandied about in a foreign
court.”
According to Eluemunor, “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 is on record that several
Nigerian newspapers of last
Sunday published different
versions of that self same
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.
Unfortunately, while Ibori’s
lead counsel stayed true to
this time‑tested legal
procedure, the prosecution
counsel went rogue and
began to make wild and
unfounded statements aimed
at nothing but
self‑glorification and Ibori’s
demonisation.
“What was not clear to
Nigerians was that the
prosecution lawyers were
labouring at damage control
as the publication in several
Nigerian newspapers of last
Sunday had leaked out the
secret that the seven‑year
investigation against Ibori had
not only cost the British
taxpayer £14 million but was
funded by the DfID —the
Department of Foreign
Development.
The visit of London
Metropolitan Police
“The prosecution then
laboured hard to justify the
money spent and stave off
another official inquiry into
the much investigated London
Metropolitan Police, that have
been accused often of grave
misdeeds. Consequently, the
London Metropolitan Police
invited droves of media
agencies and several
statements to justify their
jamborees in the sun,
whereby agents visited the
far‑flung corners of the earth
with little to show for their
efforts.
“They even visited Nigeria
three times, and lowly
policemen who had never
shaken hands with their
British superiors had dinner
with former President
Olusegun Obasanjo in the
deep recesses of Aso Rock
Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Some of the statements were
contradictory; some totally
wild and even insane.
“Worst of all, several foreign
media quoted the London
Police list of landed properties
they claimed belonged to
Ibori, that they promised to
confiscate. But anyone who
has followed the cases
concerning Ibori’s sister and
Udoamaka Okoronkwo would
have noticed that some of the
same buildings featured
prominently there. The truth
is that what is at stake in
London for now is just about
three average buildings,
finish.
What matters
“What matters to Ibori is that
all corruption charges were
dropped by the London Police
for lack of evidence. Any
claim that any corruption
charge is facing him is pure
propaganda.
He did not plead guilty to any
corruption charge. With the
corruption charges removed
because they could not be
proved beyond any
reasonable doubt, the Police
stayed with money laundering
charges, to be proved by
nothing but inference — the
convincing of a jury of white
persons. No proof, no
evidence would be needed
then, no documentary truths
would be established.
“The British and the Nigerian
establishments have been
driving this case to a
pre‑determined end, and a
battle weary Ibori was
advised to plead guilty, end
what had promised to be a
long‑drawn trial, and begin to
rebuild his life which had been
tossed about in an ocean of
legal controversy and trials
because of politics— since
2003, that is nine long years
ago. Also, Ibori did not want a
long‑drawn trial where
Nigeria’s name would be
bandied about in a forign
court.”

www.vanguardngr.com/2012/03/i-didnt-plead-guilty-to-corruption-charges-ibori/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter