IBORI GOES TO JAIL IN THE UK...13YRS NOT 13DAYZ...WAT NEXT..........
SKY NEWS
Former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori has been sentenced to 13 years for money laundering, by a court in London on Tuesday. The sentence was handed down to him by Judge Anthony Pitts.Ibori had pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court in February to a series of charges linked to the theft of money from Nigeria's Delta state and fraud involving state-owned shares in a mobile phone firm.Before Judge Pitts handed down the sentence, Ibori’s lawyers had tried to make a case for a lenient sentencing. His lawyer, Nicholas Pernell blamed Badrash Gohil and former Akwa Ibom State governor, Victor Attah, for the V-Mobile scam saying they were the architects of the fraud.He further credited his client with every development in Nigeria, and especially in Delta State, from the banking reforms, to peace in the Niger Delta, education, and building of low-cost housing. Also in his defence, he stated that his client, James Ibori, played a part in supporting British industry even before he became governor.As evidence, he cited a letter from British Airways, thanking Ibori for restoring direct flights between Nigeria and Britain.Pernell, in his conclusion, asked the Judge to consider the pressure that his client has been under since investigations began in 2005, and also Ibori’s children who now have both their parents in custody before passing his sentence.Also in his defence, former Nigeria Football Association (NFA) board member, John Fashanu, made an appearance the Southwark Crown Court Nine Tuesday on behalf of the former governor.The former Wimbledon striker told the court that the former governor achieved a lot in sports, and was instrumental to the end of militancy in the state. Fashanu also said that Ibori built nine mini-sports stadia and three Olympic-sized stadia in Delta State and also built the first shooting range in Nigeria.The court went for a recess at about 12.30pm and reconvened at 2.25pm after which his sentence was read.Ibori had earlier pleaded guilty to a number of corruption and money laundering charges against him put at about $250million before Judge Pitts. This includes the V-Mobile and Bombardaire scams which amounted to $50million. Ibori and Victor Attah, former Akwa Ibom state governor also formed a phantom company called ADF to siphon US$37.5million from Delta and Akwa Ibom states’ shares in V-Mobile. He was accused of embezzling these funds during his tenure as governor and using most of them to live a lavish lifestyle and acquire property and assets around the world.Judge Pitts said that the sentencing will not be the end of the matter as his property will also be confiscated.He was trying to buy a plane for £12m at the time he was arrested.Ibori admitted one count of conspiracy to launder money, five of money laundering and one of obtaining a property transfer by deception over the theft of more than £25m while he was governor of the region.He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to make false instruments, and one count of money laundering linked to a $37m (£23.3m) share fraud surrounding the sale of shares in telecomm’s company, V Mobile.Prosecutor Sasha Wass told the court Ibori had accepted he was involved in "wide-scale theft, fraud and corruption when he was governor of Delta state".He allegedly used a false date of birth when he ran for the governorship of the state to conceal previous convictions as a criminal record would have excluded him from taking part in the election.Ms Wass added: "Mr Ibori tricked his way into public office. He had tricked the Nigerian authorities and the Nigerian voters. He was thus never the legitimate governor of Delta state."According to prosecutors he is 49, but according to the date of birth he used in Nigeria he would be 53.Ibori was extradited from Dubai to the UK in April 2011 and Detective Inspector Paul Whatmore said it was estimated that Ibori stole around $250m (£157m) while he was Delta State governor.He said: "The scale can only be described as huge. Vast sums of money which were used to fund his lavish lifestyle."The real harm in this case is the potential loss to people in some of the poorest regions in the world."Attempts will now be made to confiscate as much of the money as possible, so that it can be returned to the state government, Whatmore said.Ibori's wife Theresa, sister Christine Ibori-Idie, mistress, Udoamaka Okoronkwo and London-based solicitor, Bhadresh Gohil have all already been convicted for their part in the money-laundering.
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