HeadlineIbori's Appeal Against UK Fraud Conviction Begins

Ibori’s Appeal Against UK Fraud Conviction Begins

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BEVERLY HILLS, March 21, (THEWILL) – James Ibori, former Governor of Delta State, on Wednesday, began an appeal against his UK conviction alleging corruption in the ranks of British police.

THEWILL recalls that Ibori was convicted in 2012, after he admitted 10 counts of fraud and money-laundering and spent years in jail in UK.

Ibori was released from jail in December 2016 after serving half of his 13-year sentence, as is normal in Britain, and he returned to Nigeria in February 2017.

But Ibori’s lawyers, in the appeal, allege that one of the British police officers who investigated him took bribes in 2007 from a private detective, hired by a British law firm working for Ibori, in return for inside information about the police investigation.

They also allege that British anti-corruption police who were supposed to investigate the alleged bribery instead covered it up to avoid scuppering Ibori’s trial and tarnishing the reputation of the police.

However, all the people against whom allegations of corruption or bad faith have been made have denied them.

According to a Reuters’ news report, the appeal hearing, being held before three judges at London’s Court of Appeal, is due to last three days.

At stake are about 90 million pounds ($130 million) of Ibori’s assets, which have been frozen for years. The British authorities aim to confiscate them and return them to the Nigerian state, but if Ibori’s conviction were overturned he would regain control of them.

Ibori was due to give evidence on Wednesday via video-link from Nigeria, and he appeared briefly on a screen in court, but the connection was lost and could not be restored.

The court was told a power cut in Nigeria was the reason for the glitch.

The judges instructed that a new attempt be made to establish a video-link to Ibori on Thursday.

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