The Nigeria Liberty Forum (NLF) in London has asked the Metropolitan Police to investigate Mr Tony Baldry, the Honourable MP for Banbury, for a 24 September 2009 letter the MP wrote to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which he sought to pervert justice in the ongoing trial of associates of James Ibori, the former Governor of Delta State.
NLF calls for prosecution of British MP, Tony Baldry hired by Ibori to obstruct justice. The Nigeria Liberty Forum (NLF) in London has asked the Metropolitan Police to investigate Mr Tony Baldry, the Honourable MP for Banbury, for a 24 September 2009 letter the MP wrote to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which he sought to pervert justice in the ongoing trial of associates of James Ibori, the former Governor of Delta State.
In the 30 December 2009 petition signed by Mr. Kayode Ogundamisi, the NLF said Mr. Baldry's letter, which was copied to several top officials of the government, constitutes an offence under Section 328 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. The Forum called for the matter to be investigated , with a view to the urgent prosecution of Mr. Baldry.
Sir Paul Stephenson
The Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police Service
New Scotland Yard
Broadway
London
SW1H 0BGDear Sir
Potential Breach of section 328 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 by the Honourable MP for Banbury
On or about 24 September 2009, Mr Tony Baldry, the Honourable MP for Banbury, wrote a five-page letter to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Rt Hon David Milliband MP, and copied same to the Attorney-General, the Rt Hon Baroness Scotland QC, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, the Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, and the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, apparently seeking to cause the discontinuation of an ongoing prosecution of the associates of the former Governor of Delta State of Nigeria, Mr James Ibori, for various money laundering offences at the Southwark Crown Court.
I believe this action by Mr Baldry constitutes an offence under section 328 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Section 328(1) provides that:
A person commits an offence if he enters into or becomes concerned in an arrangement which he knows or suspects facilitates (by whatever means) the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by or on behalf of another person.
Indeed, the Crown Prosecution Guidance on that provision states as follows:
This offence potentially catches a large range of involvement in money laundering offences usually at the layering and integration stages.
This is the offence which will often be apt for the prosecution of those who launder on behalf of others. It can catch persons who work in financial or credit institutions, accountants etc, who in the course of their work facilitate money laundering by or on behalf of other persons. For legal advisers, please see the case of Bowman & Fels [2005] EWCA Civ 226, in which it was held that steps taken in court proceedings are not 'acts' for the purposes of s328.
The language of the physical acts is deliberately wide.
Thus the prosecution has to prove that:
· the defendant enters into or becomes concerned in an arrangement;
· which he knows or suspects facilitates (by whatever means) the acquisition, retention, use or control;
· of criminal property;
· by or on behalf of another person.
I believe that the ingredients of this offence are met by the fact of this matter. I enclose herewith a letter from the Home Office, in response to a Freedom of Information request, confirming the existence of this letter.
By writing this letter in relation to an ongoing money laundering prosecution at the Southwark Crown, which he sought to interfere with, Mr Baldry appears to have entered into or became concerned in an arrangement which he knew or suspected would facilitate (by whatever means) the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by or on behalf of another person.
Mr Baldry is not known to be a legal adviser to any of the parties in the criminal proceedings in the Southwark Crown Court. Therefore he does not appear to be covered by the defence in Bowman & Fels [2005] EWCA Civ 226.
In these circumstances, I urge the Metropolitan Police to investigate this very delicate matter, with a view to the institution of prosecution against Mr Baldry, as a matter of urgency.
Yours faithfully
Kayode Ogundamisi
Cc: Keir Starmer QC
Director of Public Prosecutions
The Crown Prosecution Service
50 Ludgate Hill,
London
EC4M 7EX
NLF further appeals for protests:
Fellow Nigerians and friends of Nigeria, the Nigeria Liberty Forum in concert with some Nigerians in the United Kingdom have been following the criminal proceedings in the Southwark Crown Court concerning associates of former Delta State governor Jame Ibori and the apparent interference by a British Member of House of Parliament Mr Tony Baldry, the Honourable MP for Banbury.
We are aware that Mr Baldry wrote a five-page letter to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Rt Hon David Milliband MP, and copied same to the Attorney-General, the Rt Hon Baroness Scotland QC, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, the Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, and the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, apparently seeking to cause the discontinuation of an ongoing prosecution of the associates of the former Governor of Delta State of Nigeria, Mr James Ibori, for various money laundering offences at the Southwark Crown Court.
We call on well meaning Nigerians and friend of Nigeria to please call or e mail Mr Baldry in the following contact details bellow and politely appeal to him to let justice take its cause in the interest of all parties and especially in the interest of the suffering people of the Niger Delta and Nigeria whose funds we believe are being systematically relocated to the United Kingdom.
Please copy all letters to [email protected]
On our part we shall continue to monitor not just Mr Baldly but other top officials in the Europe who pay lip service to fighting corruption in Africa but deal with corrupt officials.
Best Regards.
Ken Eneduwa – George
Write to:
Tony Baldry MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Telephone:020-7219-6465
His email: [email protected]
Arrange an appointment at his next surgery (normal times - Bicester: 9-10am; Banbury: 4-5pm or 5-6pm):
Banbury:
Friday 20 November 2009
Friday 18 December 2009
Bicester:
Saturday 21 November 2009
Saturday 19 December 2009
Please call Barbara at the Banbury Office to make an appointment on: 01295-673-873
articleadsbanner
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });