₦airaland Forum

Oya over to Saharareporters,

We need a copy of the letter from the British Authorities to once again decipher the lies from the truth.

Britain to appeal, seeks more evidence on Ibori
From Mike Osunde (Benin), Lemmy Ughegbe (Abuja) and Hendrix Oliomogbe (Asaba)
FAR from being over, the trial of former Delta State governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, in the United Kingdom may have just begun.

The British government has announced plans to appeal the court decision, which, on Monday last week, vacated an earlier order freezing Ibori's assets put at ?35 million.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), disclosed the British government's decision yesterday. The minister said that Britain has sought fresh evidence on Ibori from him.

These disclosures were contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Attorney-General, Taye Akinyemi and made available to The Guardian in Abuja yesterday.

Although the minister's spokesman explained that the British government's position was communicated to the Federal Government vide a letter by the British Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Ken Macdonald, a Queen's Counsel, addressed to the Attorney-General of the Federation, he did not attach a copy of Macdonald's letter to the statement he made available to The Guardian.

Efforts to get the British Prosecutor's letter by The Guardian last night also failed.

The statement issued by the AGF's spokesman reads:

"The present administration will not shield anyone accused of corrupt practices from justice. All it is concerned with and which it enjoins all Nigerians to imbibe is the fact that this must be done within the confines of the rule of law and decent behaviour.

"The Honourable Attorney-General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa (SAN) restated the government position following the receipt of a letter from the British Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Ken Macdonald, QC exonerating the AGF of any complicity in the ruling vacating the restraint order on Chief Ibori by the Southwalk Crown Court.

"According to the letter from the DPP, 'the main factor behind the judge's decision was the length of time the investigation has taken and the lack of progress towards a decision whether or not to charge Mr. Ibori.'

"The DPP expressed his disappointment over his inability to 'assure the judge that we have the full cooperation of the Nigerian authorities and indeed had to concede that there are real practical difficulties about getting unimpeded access to evidence obtained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria.'

"The British Director of Public Prosecution further informed his Nigerian counterpart of the intention to appeal the decision to discharge the restraint order and an application to stay the decision pending determination of appeal.

"He further urged the AGF to prevail on the investigating agency in Nigeria to make available to him evidence it has obtained of the offences committed by Mr. Ibori in view of the 'real practical difficulties about getting unimpeded access to evidence obtained by the EFCC in Nigeria.'

"The purpose of writing is to seek your assurance that the requested evidence will be made available for transmission back to the United Kingdom.'

"Underlining the importance of obtaining the evidence, he informed the AGF that non-obtaining may lead to abandoning our 'appeal against discharge of the restraint order.'"

Meanwhile, National Conscience Party Chairman, Osagie Obayuwana, says it is time President Yar'Adua spoke up on the aborted investigations into allegations of corruption against Ibori by the British Police.

Obayuwana said Nigerians need to know how much the former governor contributed to the President's campaign fund to warrant his being protected by the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Besides, he said the President should also say if the contributions by Ibori were within the limit permitted by law.

The NCP chairman spoke in Benin yesterday in reaction to the ongoing debate over the controversial letter to Ibori's lawyers by Aondoakaa, which allegedly aborted investigations that led to the vacation of the court order freezing some assets of the former governor.

Obayuwana said apart from Ibori, the President should also speak up on which of the agencies was stalling the prosecution of former governors already arraigned in court.

"We are waiting for him to speak on these issues because of the shame that has been brought to the image of this country and on whose behalf the Attorney-General of the Federation claim to have attested."

Meanwhile, former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola yesterday in Asaba called for caution in the face-off between the EFCC and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Ajibola said that the position of the Attorney-General is a very strategic one and as such, the occupier must ensure that he does every thing that is just, right, proper and unpolluted. "He must not be seen to compromise the very heavy position that has been given to him in that constitution," he said.

The legal luminary, who was in the Delta State capital to pay a courtesy call on Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, told reporters that the controversy between Aondoakaa and the chairman of the EFCC, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, notwithstanding, efforts must be made at all times to ensure that those who are corrupt are dealt with and in accordance with the rule of law and due process.

The former Justice of the International Court at the Hague, the Netherlands urged both Aondoakaa and Ribadu to exercise caution, emphasising that even though the powers and functions of the Attorney-General are entrenched in the constitution, it must not be forgotten that the EFCC was set up by an act of the National Assembly.

The former Minister of Justice said: "Of course, you are aware also of the fact that EFCC has its own law. No doubt about that. But that is what we call an adjectival law."

, Culled from gaurdian

This AGF must truly be living in self delusion or he must think he is the only educated person in Nigeria.

That the DPP in Britain urged him to prevail on EFCC to make evidence available translates into exonerating him (AGF) from complicity. God knows what he expects the British Authorities to write.

Our Honourable AGF does not even think Nigerians are brilliant enough to compare the Statement that the UK DPP blamed the failure at the court on lengthy time to gather facts, lack of co-operation by the Nigerian Authorities and the fact that he Micheal Aondoakaa only wrote EFCC on September 28th when he recieved a request dated August 30th. He does no even think that Nigerians are smart enough to know that September 28th was a Friday, 29th Saturday, 30th Sunday, Monday 1st October in which the case was going to be decided in London was a Public Holiday in Nigeria.

What a school boy spin, those who know Aondoakaa should tell him that the world is a global village. They should also inform him that Nigerians and EFCC are not unmindful of the fact that to fight corruption in Nigeria we have to fight Micheal Aondoakaa first.


Heard he will have to gather the evidence available at the EFCC and send to London Met for the appeal. If he tries to edit or replace the dossiers he recieves from EFCC or worst still chooses to bury the whole process in logistics and bureaucracy then he is simply unaware the capabilities of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

IBB was probably one of the most brilliant amongst the group of Northern Generals who operated at the time.

But he was by no means a great leader

A great leader will not lead a Nation into a transition programme that he knows was simply heading to a cul-de-sac.

I stand on the part of truth!!!!!!!!!

Before we get it all wrong, being great at scheming, politicing or being brilliant does not translate into being a great leader.

I was only impressed by this move by IBB because I thought he may have realised what I thought he should do in the interest of his Children in case they have any political ambition.

But IBB was definitely not a great leader.

Babasin

We learn everyday and lets listen to the voice of reason.

1. London Met police may only continue a case against Ibori if they see favourable signs from Nigeria otherwise they will back off.
All this talk about they should have delayed or adjourned this or that simply makes no sense, because UK Gorvernment is not ready to jeorpardise UK National Interests. If London Met police has good reason to believe the FG is assisting Ibori evade justice they will simply back off no matter how much help they would have loved to offer. It is that simple, that is how international diplomacy work.

2. The AGF has the right to answer requests if he claims to have full details on them, but a situation where he chooses to have full details on replying Ibori's cousel but chooses to consult EFCC in replying London Met police when both Plaintif and defendant are practically asking the same questions (i.e. whether Ibori is wanted for Money Laundering in Nigeria) smacks of double standards.

3. Granting accelerated response within days to Ibori's defence counsel and then spending one month to even attempt to gather information to reply London Met police is simply sloppy.



This is not about attacking British justice system, they can only help Nigeria find justice. They will not impose Justice if our Government does not want one. Here in lies the need to compel the Attorney General to desist from his Clandestine motives.

History apart if IBB actually paid tributes to Soyinka after the criticisms from Soyinka (Which were very right in my opinion though), I think the man IBB deserves commendation for his master stroke.

He probably did not fill out his applications properly in the first instance. He has to fill them rightly and there is nothing wrong if he is corrected to do so.


The Nigerian Embassy in US will be doing itself a lot of displeasure if they dont learn anything from the domiciled country. You want the ambassador to go abroad advertising the fraud existent in the home country?

Bill Gates can not just come into Nigeria because he is Bill Gates, he has to apply for his Visa rightly. As much as our immigration services are not up to speed it should not mean Gates can make a phone call saying he is coming to Nigeria and then allowed into Nigeria by default it does not work like that.

Mohamed Al-Fayed the Chairman of Fulham for so long applied for British Passport but did not get one even when poor assylum seekers from Somalia and Sudan are busy getting passports easily.

If he has not filed his application properly showing necessary supporting evidence why should he be granted VISA.

And your facts and rule of law support the AGF to reply Ibori's counsel's questions about Ibori's allegation (within days) without liasing with the appropriate agency handling the investigation but then will choose to write a delayed letter to EFCC when the other party makes the same request.

Is that not double standards?

This is not about whether the Judge should have adjourned or how the justice system works in Britain, it is about the sloppiness of our Attorney General. A public servant.

Let us talk about a rule of law that makes sense, not Aondoakaa's version.

Babasin is defending the indefensible

The AGF replied Ibori's counsel with a letter dated 7th August while that of Ibori's counsel in london was dated 4th August, in essence it took him 3 days to reply Ibori's request.

Met Police wrote him a letter dated 30th August but the AGF only sent a request to EFCC to furnish him dossiers on Ibori by Friday 28th September when the case will be decided on Moday 1st October in London. In essence it took him 1month to even research dossiers from the EFCC.

Is it not curious that their could be such a disparity in both reactions?

How about the timing of the letter to EFCC, on a friday when the case will be decided on Monday knowing that Saturday and Sunday are not working days.

Let us for one stop playing politics with our future and those of our children.

This AGF claims he acted on Orji's case in other not to be committed to Prison when it is on record that the so called suit filed by Kalu does not have him as a respondent.


Babasin I don't know what your interest is, but for the sake of our children's destiny let us be rationale.

When Martin Luthar Agwai said he has not come to conquer anybody but to help the Sudanese people find peace, I thought he had the right frame of mind to find a lasting solution to the problem.

But a situation where his troops are attacked unprovoked makes the situation more complicated than it already is.

The problem is already complicated and may be because Martin Luthar is a Nigerian there is the temptation that Nigeria will play a leading role, but sponsoring a war against a Government backed rebel is not easy and thank God the Ethiopians are coming forth.

Texa

Do you honestly think with all the arms race going on between Rusia and US, Rusia will pay anyone to lobby its image to washington.

President Putin will rather Bush launder's his image to him than he Bush

I simply dont discuss IBB these days because I believe he is a non-issue

If any group or organisation chooses to even go for pilgrimages at his house, that is their cup of tea.

Of all the support I had for OBJ Government this was one I hated so much

And it is so curious that a Yaradua Government that has been an expert in reversing OBJ policies chose to uphold this senseless idea.

It is simple, sort out Electricity, Roads, Schools, Hospitals and tackle corruption in High places, The American Government will simply have no choice but to take you seriously.

All this trivialising real issues and chasing shadows is rubish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ziddy:
I must confess a certain amount of ambivalence in my personal assessment of him - I admire his courage, his fluid mastery of Machiavellian politics. I guess that makes me a hypocrite in your warped lexicon, but it also makes you delusional (and incorrect on all counts)

No comment

Time will tell who was living in dellusion.

ziddy:
Barefaced lie, that. How do we classify the selective war on corruption? Its hypocrisy of the highest magnitude.

The debate about whether war against corruption is selective under OBJ is simply invalid because no one has been able to tell us what was the criteria for selection. We clearly saw that both friends and enemies of OBJ (PDP or Non-PDP members) were guest of EFCC which nullifies that argument. If you are telling me because EFCC did not prosecute everybody we consider corrupt then may be you will have to tell us what investigative agency of the world has been able to prosecute everybody they are trailing.


Under OBJ regime we did not witness the DPP going to court defending those he is meant to prosecute.

We did not witness a customised court verdict designed to give a criminal 24hrs freedom

We did not witness the President lobbying media moguls just to tilt media reports in certain way

We did not witness a President claiming to be a servant leader and announcing the that the days of sharing National cake are over while spending more time defending those who have embezzled national cake (God knows how they hope to discourage the Present Governors from embezzling the National cake)


Even Jolly Nwame that was literarily confessing has now decided to halt his trial claiming that the Abuja high court has no jurisdiction to hear his case but can only have his case heard in Taraba. Reason is not far fetched: that will simply be a window of opportunity to change his defence and find ways to esploit due process to pervert the cause of jusice in President Yaradua's Nigeria.


OBJ is hated becuase he simply cared less what folks thought about him, he simply cared more in doing what he thought was right.

He was not a hypocrite

What you see is what you get

you either hate him or love him.

Judge Goymer was persuaded by Mr Ibori's team of lawyers that there was insufficient proof the assets were the proceeds of crime thanks to a letter they obtained from Mr Aondoakaa in August stating that the former Delta state governor had been investigated but not charged, tried or convicted in Nigeria "relating to money laundering or any other offences".

Only those who refuse to be honest to themselves will disagree that this AGF simply perverted the course of justice.

Good luck my lady

Big B1:
How would you feel, if task force publicly cuts off your sister, or mother or wife's trouser with scissor, exposing her bikini and G-string?

And what do you call this type of action coming from the task force in year 2007?


ABSOLUTELY RETARDED

It is absolutely shameful and babaric

But the question is will you accept the act is retarted when it characteristically happens in Kaduna?

British Police did ask the AGF, their letter was never replied

Rather the AGF wrote EFCC to react to British police, it is on record that the AGF's letter to EFCC got to EFCC 24hrs after the court sitting in London while it took our "JUSTICE MINISTER" 3 days to reply to Ibori's counsel in London.

It is also on record that a delegation from the Met Police approached our Justice Minister twice but got no tangible answer from him while he made a decisive letter availble to Ibori's counsel.

If you are arguing like BigB1 that the AGF is following the Job description given by his boss Yaradua, that will be honest and I will accept that. But trying to justify this hypocrisy in the name of rule of law is simply funny.

How about

Is Ibori still under investigation?

What is the answer to that one

BigB1

How many times have harrasing of people over Religous sentiments led to killing and destruction of properties, if most harrassments in the North have led to killings where is the credibility in seprating the two when one leads to the other?

I find it amusing when people talk about rule of law they hardly understand

Ibori was investigated while in office = Ibori is no longer investigated now that he is out of office.

Why did the letter not state that he is still under investigation?

That is the issue not rule of law or not

Well if all you can do is rain abuses, I wish you luck as I am not interested in going into any war of words with you.

Since you don't know what makes you post shameful I will help you, and I will be honest and blunt

If this happened in say Sokoto we will have people screaming muslims are backward and under developed, people will scream sharia and islam.

Behold it is happening in the East. Is this christianity in action or is this an act of development?

That statement trivialises the very issue that is destroying our Nation you claim to love. We have seen how times without numbered silly religous sentiments have lead to monumental destruction of lives and properties in the Muslim North. Comparing what obtains in the North to that which has happened in Aba is an insult to all the innocent lives lost as a result of this babarism in the North.

While what has happened in Aba is unacceptable and should be condemed, comparing it to what obtains in the North is shameful.

I made a resolution never to take part in any ethnic, tribal, or religous discussion on Nairaland but was so disappointed that such a comment will come from you all in your quest for political correctness.


I may not be coming back to this thread

Babasin the lawyer please kindly react to my earlier comment where I suggested the AGF is being economical with the truth.

God knows who you are trying ro impress by calling me an ethnic bigot, but will not reply to that.

Everyone knows that attacking ladies and imposing dress codes are prevalent in Muslim North and most times those who engage in these babaric acts justify their actions with religion. Never have I head a muslim cleric or imam or even muslims on the street criticize the babaric act.

The case in aba is a one off and a disgrace, I think it is unacceptable and I believe a lot of people in Aba think so too.

I do not believe anybody whether christain or muslim has the right to pontificate on whether ladies should wear trouser or not.
This is 2007 Nigeria not 1907.


This is not about religion or ethnicity but respect for sanctity of life and respect for other people's fundamental human rights.
The day people begin to kill others in the name of defending the teachings of christainity, if its impossible to bring such people to book or prevent it in the future I will kindly denounce Christainity.

babasin:
are these true or not

Yes. they are true facts. So AGF has done nothing wrong.

It is rather EFCC people should be after for doing a shody-job if any good at all.

Nope!!!!!!!

He was economical with the truth,

"He was investigated while he was in office" means his investigation ended on May 29 2007. You and I know that that is not very accurate.

Why did he use different phrases as investigation while in office but not charged to court while out of office. Why did he not state that he is still under investigation.

Someone should tell Micheal Aondoakaa that he is not Nigeria's first AGF nor is he the only lawyer within the shores of this country.

Afam:
If this happened in say Sokoto we will have people screaming muslims are backward and under developed, people will scream sharia and islam.

Behold it is happening in the East. Is this christianity in action or is this an act of development?

We should be objective and try to be devoid of sentiments at all times in all we do because what we say or do today may come back to us tomorrow.

Assuming the police is obeying instruction from Aso Rock what of the Task Force?

As much as there is need to bring whoever is involved in this illegal act in Aba to book, your reaction this is so shameful.