October 20, 2008
SaharaReporters, New York
As legal arguments begin at Southwark Crown Court in London tomorrow, October 22, SaharaReporters has gathered that Nigeria’s Attorney General, Michael Aondoakaaa, appears to be pitching with Ibori's defence team in a serious effort to weaken the Metropolitan Police money-laundering charges against the former Delta State governor, his family and associates. Among the key issues is the admissibility of evidence gathered from Nigeria by the Crown Prosecution Services and the Metropolitan Police in the Ibori case.
Sources close to Ibori told SaharaReporters that Ibori's newfound confidence, which is reflected in the refrain in his recent press statements that he will "clear his name", is founded on the letters and memos submitted to his defence team by Mr. Aondoakaa. Since assuming office as Nigeria's Attorney General, Aondoakaa has done everything within his power to disrupt the trial of the ex-governor, whose worldwide assets worth $40 million remains frozen by a UK high court while several of his female associates and lawyer faces money laundering charges.
Already, Ibori’s defence lawyers have filed several motions to challenge the way the Metropolitan Police obtained evidence from Nigeria from the EFCC but have made no mention about the substance of the evidence. A source in Ibori's camp told SaharaReporters that they are confident that they will use technicalities to disrupt the evidence-gathering methods employed by the Metropolitan Police, which so far has given the Mets an upper hand.
But a Lagos-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) told SaharaReporters anonymously that all the Metropolitan Police needed was to ask the judge trying the case to admit a sound legal and constitutional opinion from a Nigerian constitution lawyer. According to him, "The law says the laws of both countries supersede the Mutual Legal Agreement treaty.”
Stressing that the law establishing Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) gives it exclusive powers to collaborate with foreign law enforcement entities to fight financial crimes in Nigeria, he drew attention to Section 6 of the EFCC Act, which grants the Commission powers to provide evidence to a foreign court of law.
The EFCC under the leadership of Mrs. Farida Waziri has refused further cooperation with the Metropolitan Police. The chairwoman of the anti-corruption agency has refused to respond to enquiries from the Mets about Ibori since she took over the agency. In retaliation the UK Police has not done anything with the EFCC since October 2007. A source told SaharaReporters that the Metroplitan Police think of Waziri as a total farce.
She is not faring better with the United States law enforcement officials and the State Department. US embassy sources in Nigeria say they have turned down various requests by Mrs. Waziri for a visa to visit the country.
Informed sources at the Presidency also told SaharaReporters that Yar'adua is behind Aondoakaa’s memos and letters to boost Ibori’s chances against the Metropolitan Police in London, as it is his mode of operation to use others as a way of shielding himself from direct attention.
Meanwhile, the State Security Services (SSS) has begun work on a taped phone conversation submitted by Rivers State government officials against the AGF. He was reportedly taped while requesting a bribe from Rivers State officials to put a stop to EFCC investigations pertaining to corruption in the state. Though the planned agreement between the Rivers state officials and Aondoakaa are being implemented so far with the intervention of a Rivers State High court to stop the trial of Nyesom Wike, and further stoppage of investigation regarding the N27 billion Rivers state account recently frozen by the EFCC, our sources said that Yar'adua might have enlisted the SSS so as to divert the attention of the petitioners against Aondoakaa.
While Aondoakaa labours to frustrate Ibori's trial in the UK, SaharaReporters has also unearthed further corrupt deals between the controversial minister and another governor currently undergoing trial for corruption, Orji Uzor Kalu.
According to documents seen by SaharaReporters Mike Aondoakaa received two Toyota made PRADO sports utility vehicles from the former governor of Abia state last year. The vehicles, which are in Aondoakaa's homes in Asokoro and his home in Benue were both registered in Lagos in 2007.
The first, with registration number AZ437YAD, was registered by John Nnamozi Okonkwo, in Ojota, Lagos, while the second, with registration number AZ461YAD was registered to Ike Nzeche of Festac town Lagos. Aondoakaa, in an attempt to hide the two cars re-registered them at the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) in Abuja, but SaharaReporters investigations shows that the two vehicles were actually registered by Orji Uzor Kalu's presidential campaign organization by his staffers, Nzeche and Okonkwo.
Investigations show that an elaborate ruse was devised to cover the identity of the Toyota Prado cars. The actual vehicles registered were two Mercedes Benz E 230 salon cars used by Kalu's campaigns, but Orji Kalu removed the licence plate numbers and re-attached them to the Prado jeeps. Sources told SaharaReporters that in an effort to extend the deception, Aondoakaa also made efforts to register the vehicles in Abuja. At the time of going to press, we could not confirm if this had been accomplished.
As legal arguments begin at Southwark Crown Court in London tomorrow, October 22, SaharaReporters has gathered that Nigeria’s Attorney General, Michael Aondoakaaa, appears to be pitching with Ibori's defence team in a serious effort to weaken the Metropolitan Police money-laundering charges against the former Delta State governor, his family and associates. Among the key issues is the admissibility of evidence gathered from Nigeria by the Crown Prosecution Services and the Metropolitan Police in the Ibori case.
Sources close to Ibori told SaharaReporters that Ibori's newfound confidence, which is reflected in the refrain in his recent press statements that he will "clear his name", is founded on the letters and memos submitted to his defence team by Mr. Aondoakaa. Since assuming office as Nigeria's Attorney General, Aondoakaa has done everything within his power to disrupt the trial of the ex-governor, whose worldwide assets worth $40 million remains frozen by a UK high court while several of his female associates and lawyer faces money laundering charges.
Already, Ibori’s defence lawyers have filed several motions to challenge the way the Metropolitan Police obtained evidence from Nigeria from the EFCC but have made no mention about the substance of the evidence. A source in Ibori's camp told SaharaReporters that they are confident that they will use technicalities to disrupt the evidence-gathering methods employed by the Metropolitan Police, which so far has given the Mets an upper hand.
But a Lagos-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) told SaharaReporters anonymously that all the Metropolitan Police needed was to ask the judge trying the case to admit a sound legal and constitutional opinion from a Nigerian constitution lawyer. According to him, "The law says the laws of both countries supersede the Mutual Legal Agreement treaty.”
Stressing that the law establishing Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) gives it exclusive powers to collaborate with foreign law enforcement entities to fight financial crimes in Nigeria, he drew attention to Section 6 of the EFCC Act, which grants the Commission powers to provide evidence to a foreign court of law.
The EFCC under the leadership of Mrs. Farida Waziri has refused further cooperation with the Metropolitan Police. The chairwoman of the anti-corruption agency has refused to respond to enquiries from the Mets about Ibori since she took over the agency. In retaliation the UK Police has not done anything with the EFCC since October 2007. A source told SaharaReporters that the Metroplitan Police think of Waziri as a total farce.
She is not faring better with the United States law enforcement officials and the State Department. US embassy sources in Nigeria say they have turned down various requests by Mrs. Waziri for a visa to visit the country.
Informed sources at the Presidency also told SaharaReporters that Yar'adua is behind Aondoakaa’s memos and letters to boost Ibori’s chances against the Metropolitan Police in London, as it is his mode of operation to use others as a way of shielding himself from direct attention.
Meanwhile, the State Security Services (SSS) has begun work on a taped phone conversation submitted by Rivers State government officials against the AGF. He was reportedly taped while requesting a bribe from Rivers State officials to put a stop to EFCC investigations pertaining to corruption in the state. Though the planned agreement between the Rivers state officials and Aondoakaa are being implemented so far with the intervention of a Rivers State High court to stop the trial of Nyesom Wike, and further stoppage of investigation regarding the N27 billion Rivers state account recently frozen by the EFCC, our sources said that Yar'adua might have enlisted the SSS so as to divert the attention of the petitioners against Aondoakaa.
While Aondoakaa labours to frustrate Ibori's trial in the UK, SaharaReporters has also unearthed further corrupt deals between the controversial minister and another governor currently undergoing trial for corruption, Orji Uzor Kalu.
According to documents seen by SaharaReporters Mike Aondoakaa received two Toyota made PRADO sports utility vehicles from the former governor of Abia state last year. The vehicles, which are in Aondoakaa's homes in Asokoro and his home in Benue were both registered in Lagos in 2007.
The first, with registration number AZ437YAD, was registered by John Nnamozi Okonkwo, in Ojota, Lagos, while the second, with registration number AZ461YAD was registered to Ike Nzeche of Festac town Lagos. Aondoakaa, in an attempt to hide the two cars re-registered them at the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) in Abuja, but SaharaReporters investigations shows that the two vehicles were actually registered by Orji Uzor Kalu's presidential campaign organization by his staffers, Nzeche and Okonkwo.
Investigations show that an elaborate ruse was devised to cover the identity of the Toyota Prado cars. The actual vehicles registered were two Mercedes Benz E 230 salon cars used by Kalu's campaigns, but Orji Kalu removed the licence plate numbers and re-attached them to the Prado jeeps. Sources told SaharaReporters that in an effort to extend the deception, Aondoakaa also made efforts to register the vehicles in Abuja. At the time of going to press, we could not confirm if this had been accomplished.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });