Theresa Ibori, the wife of jailed former Nigerian state governor James Ibori, was on the list of deadbeats who altogether owe British taxpayers “a staggering one billion pounds,” according to a new report.
Theresa Ibori, the wife of jailed former Nigerian state governor James Ibori, was on the list of deadbeats who altogether owe British taxpayers “a staggering one billion pounds,” according to a new report.
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Senior lawyers called on ministers to look “urgently” at whether new powers were needed to collect the unpaid debts.
Mrs. Ibori’s name appeared along with major drug importers, fraudsters and other serious criminals who are among more than 7,000 convicted offenders that must still pay back their unlawful gains.
“These are very worrying figures,” said Keith Vaz , chair of the Commons home affairs select committee of the unpaid debt totals. “They show that it is far too easy for major criminals to hold onto the profits of their crime. These serious offenders are escaping proper punishment and, even worse, they are being left with large sums of money which they can use to fund further crimes.”
Mrs. Ibori still owes just under £5 million of a court order imposed for her role in a £50 million fraud committed by her husband, despite owning a home in Hampstead and missing a deadline for repayment that ran out in May.
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