James Ibori Loses Appeal Against UK Graft Conviction

Former governor of Delta state, James Ibori, has lost the appeal against his conviction for fraud by a British court in 2012. James Ibori, who was jailed in Britain for laundering tens of millions of dollars in stolen public funds, through British banks and properties, lost his apeal against his conviction in London today

Ibori who was governor of Delta state between 1999-2007,  pleaded guilty in a London court in 2012 to a 10-count charge of fraud and money-laundering, involving sums amounting to at least 50 million pounds ($66 million).

He received a 13-year jail sentence of which he served half, as is common in the British system.

Ibori, who came back to Nigeria in February last year, appealed against his conviction alleging that one of the London police officers who had investigated him, was himself corrupt and that the prosecution had covered that up.

The presiding judges in his appeal today, ruled that he was not able to prove that the police offiicers were corrupt.

“If (the policeman) was corrupt, Ibori was the instigator or at the very least intimately involved in any such corruption. Regardless of any disclosure failures on the part of the Crown (prosecutors), Ibori was thoroughly informed on this topic prior to his pleas of guilty.” the judges ruled

During his eight years in office, Ibori enjoyed a jet-setting lifestyle, buying multi-million dollar properties in England, South Africa and the United States as well as a Bentley, a Jaguar and other luxury cars. At the time of his arrest, he was in the process of buying a $20-million Bombardier private jet.