Met Officer Arrested In Ibori Bribery Case

Are you guys following whats happening? the fall out from the Ibori case has begun ! so, a serving Metropolitan Police officer and three former officers are being investigated over claims information about the former Delta State governor James Ibori was sold for cash.

Scotland Yard is probing a suspected bribery scam, after a lawyer used Parilamentary privilege to tell a Select Committee of possible cash payments made by investigation firm Risc to sources of theirs who were “presumably police officers or those close to the investigation”.
A 45-year-old detective constable was questioned yesterday on suspicion of providing information about convicted Nigerian fraudster Ibori in return for cash.
Two private investigators, aged 53 and 58, and another man were held in connection with providing the money after raids at the London offices of Risc Management Ltd, it is understood.
Scotland Yard said the fourth man was arrested at a south London police station by appointment.
“He was arrested on suspicion of bribery of a police officer,” a spokesman said.
“Officers have previously attended a residential address outside of London and a 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of receiving payments for information. He is a serving detective constable in the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service).”
Former London-based hardware cashier Ibori rose to become a top politician in Nigeria, before being jailed for 13 years last month after admitting fraud totalling nearly £50 million.

Source 

British Police Ready To Charge 3 More Ex Governors!

With the successful trial and conviction of Delta State Ex Governor James Ibori, it seems like the British Government is on a roll to seemingly achieve what the Nigerian Government has had difficulty doing .

On April 17 2012, Jame Ibori was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment for money laundering and theft of $250m and now, it looks like the British Government are going for others!

An undisclosed presidency source in Abuja, has said, that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, are assisting the London Met in their investigations

And they (London Metropolitan Police) are at the final stages of its investigations and are about to bring charges to three more ex-governors.

He said “Dariye, Alamie-yeseighie and another ex-governor from the South-East, have substantial evidence against them, but they are not the only ones on the list.

“The London Police are very thorough. Most of the time, it is not about how fast you can finish investigating a case, but waiting for substantial evidence is important so that you can have a successful trial.

“If you look at the Ibori case, you will understand how international fraud cases are conducted.

“A lot of international co-operation is involved because the evidence needed are scattered all over the world.

“But we have enough now for the prosecution of the three I have mentioned. We just need to settle a few things before their cases go to court.

“Nigeria and Britain have an existing Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty; therefore, getting the suspects to the UK won’t be a problem.

“It was through such assistance that the Ibori case was put to a logical conclusion.”

My Conscience Is Clear - Justice Marcel Idowu Awokulehin

Justice Marcel Idowu Awokulehin

JUSTICE Marcel Idowu Awokulehin who exonerated former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, now serving 13 years jail term in the United Kingdom, has stated that his conscience is clear over the clean bill he granted the convict.
The judge, who was making reference to his judgment over Ibori’s case at the hearing of a case involving a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial aspirant, Terver Kakii and Governor Gabriel Suswam at the Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, recently enjoined Governor Suswam’s lead counsel, Mr Jubrin Okutepa SAN, who argued on how a local publisher in the state dragged the judiciary through the mud in his publication not to be disturbed with any publication against the judiciary “once your conscience is clear.”
According to the judge, “let me give you an instance, I read a column in This Day newspaper over my ruling in the case involving James Ibori. The columnist, in his write-up said he wondered what will be running through my mind now that Ibori had admitted guilt in London to the case I exonerated him of.”
Justice Awokulehin further said that there was a sharp difference between criminal law in Nigeria and Britain, stressing that Nigerian law states that any criminal law should be proved beyond reasonable doubt while that of Britain is inference.
The judge, who is based in Nasarawa State but was assigned to handle the case which had suffered a setback,  said “I am always guided by the submission of Justice [Dahiru] Musdapher who said that one should not mind what people say as long as your conscience is clear in your decision.
“What the Nigerian law says over criminal case is that such allegations must be proved beyond reasonable doubt, which is different from British law which is based on inference. What happens there is to assume, so, SAN, do not border about what the witness wrote.”
Mr Okutepa SAN had in his cross-examination of the witness, one Faatever in the case between Terver Kaaki and Governor Gabriel Suswam over last year’s primary election before the judge, said that the witness who is also a local publisher had rubbished the integrity of the judiciary in his local paper, accusing some judges of the Appeal Court of bias.
It will be recalled that former Governor Ibori was last week sentenced to 13 years in prison, having admitted stealing money from his state and laundering it in London totalling over 79 million US dollars.

Written by Johnson Babajide, Makurdi  for the Nigerian Tribune