June 1, 2010
{joomplu:585}The first set of money laundering trials of James Ibori's associates in London came to a successful end at the Southwark Crown Court today as a 12-member UK jury unanimously found James Ibori's mistress, Udoamaka Okoronkwo (nee Onuigbo), guilty in a verdict delivered this morning.
{joomplu:585}
The first set of money laundering trials of James Ibori's associates in London came to a successful end at the Southwark Crown Court today as a 12-member UK jury unanimously found James Ibori's mistress, Udoamaka Okoronkwo (nee Onuigbo), guilty in a verdict delivered this morning.
Mrs. Okorokwo, who for several months loved to show-off and walk tantalizingly around the court grounds, was convicted on three counts of money laundering for her role in assisting the former governor launder funds stolen from Delta State in a series of criminal transactions performed through UK banks.
Mrs. Okoronkwo and Ibori's sister, Christine Ibie-Ibori, who was convicted yesterday by the same jury, will both be sentenced at 2 :00 PM on Monday June 7 2010. Legal observers told Saharareporters that they face up to 5 years in UK jails for their money laundering and mortgage crimes.
The conviction of Udoamaka today must have caught Ibori and his highly priced lawyers by surprise as she had seemed to escape conviction yesterday when the jury let her go on one count before they ended their day’s sitting. The decision on that single count led Ibori's media assistant, Tony Eluemunor, to issue a press statement in which the former journalist accused the UK authorities of "political persecution" of his principal in collusion with the Nigerian government.
A London-based Nigerian lawyer described the press statement as the “most unwise” move made by Ibori and his lawyers, even though he did not say if it had any effect on the jury which resumed deliberation this morning.
UK Metropolitan sources said their lawyers would determine if Mrs. Okoronkwo will face a second trial with Ibori's wife, Theresa Nkoyo, on similar charges. The second trial which involves Ibori's lawyer, Bhadresh Gohil and Ibori’s wife, Theresa, will start on June 18. A determination will, however be made today regarding her reported inability to hire a new set of defence lawyers.
{joomplu:579}{joomplu:584}
Okoronkwo was arrested for the 2nd time in France in 2008 on a European warrant as she waited to board a flight to Lagos on her way from a shopping trip to the US. She was later extradited to the UK to begin a new life in front of lawyers and judges.
While she and the rest of Ibori’s associates were getting used to that life, in Nigeria, Ibori and Michael Aondoakaa, Nigeria's Attorney General under Umaru Yar'Adua, perfected plans to keep her safe from justice by colluding with a federal judge, Justice Marcel Awokulehin , to free her from the trial in London.
As soon as Awokulehin began sitting in Asaba where Ibori had set up a kangaroo federal court in connivance with the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and the Delta State government, he ordered that Udoamaka be made available in his court in Asaba so as to begin Ibori's trial for money laundering.
But the UK judge saw through the trick and refused to grant her request to face trial in Nigeria with Ibori. Her lawyer tried several tricks to get her out of the UK but failed. In December 2009, they came up with another joke by filing a motion to have all the charges against her and her co-defendants quashed by submitting the judgment given by Awokulehin in Asaba. In that ruling, Awokulehin had quashed 170-counts against Ibori, but again the UK court refused to play the same game, paving the way for a full trial that led to the conviction of two of the women yesterday and early today.
Nigeria's judiciary has always pandered to Ibori's whims and caprices as a result of massive corruption at the highest levels. Arrested in Dubai recently, he is now awaiting extradition to the UK, a process against which he is planning to play the “political persecution” card as his last hope.
The first set of money laundering trials of James Ibori's associates in London came to a successful end at the Southwark Crown Court today as a 12-member UK jury unanimously found James Ibori's mistress, Udoamaka Okoronkwo (nee Onuigbo), guilty in a verdict delivered this morning. Mrs. Okorokwo, who for several months loved to show-off and walk tantalizingly around the court grounds, was convicted on three counts of money laundering for her role in assisting the former governor launder funds stolen from Delta State in a series of criminal transactions performed through UK banks.
Mrs. Okoronkwo and Ibori's sister, Christine Ibie-Ibori, who was convicted yesterday by the same jury, will both be sentenced at 2 :00 PM on Monday June 7 2010. Legal observers told Saharareporters that they face up to 5 years in UK jails for their money laundering and mortgage crimes.
The conviction of Udoamaka today must have caught Ibori and his highly priced lawyers by surprise as she had seemed to escape conviction yesterday when the jury let her go on one count before they ended their day’s sitting. The decision on that single count led Ibori's media assistant, Tony Eluemunor, to issue a press statement in which the former journalist accused the UK authorities of "political persecution" of his principal in collusion with the Nigerian government.
A London-based Nigerian lawyer described the press statement as the “most unwise” move made by Ibori and his lawyers, even though he did not say if it had any effect on the jury which resumed deliberation this morning.
UK Metropolitan sources said their lawyers would determine if Mrs. Okoronkwo will face a second trial with Ibori's wife, Theresa Nkoyo, on similar charges. The second trial which involves Ibori's lawyer, Bhadresh Gohil and Ibori’s wife, Theresa, will start on June 18. A determination will, however be made today regarding her reported inability to hire a new set of defence lawyers.
{joomplu:579}{joomplu:584}
Okoronkwo was arrested for the 2nd time in France in 2008 on a European warrant as she waited to board a flight to Lagos on her way from a shopping trip to the US. She was later extradited to the UK to begin a new life in front of lawyers and judges.
While she and the rest of Ibori’s associates were getting used to that life, in Nigeria, Ibori and Michael Aondoakaa, Nigeria's Attorney General under Umaru Yar'Adua, perfected plans to keep her safe from justice by colluding with a federal judge, Justice Marcel Awokulehin , to free her from the trial in London.
As soon as Awokulehin began sitting in Asaba where Ibori had set up a kangaroo federal court in connivance with the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and the Delta State government, he ordered that Udoamaka be made available in his court in Asaba so as to begin Ibori's trial for money laundering.
But the UK judge saw through the trick and refused to grant her request to face trial in Nigeria with Ibori. Her lawyer tried several tricks to get her out of the UK but failed. In December 2009, they came up with another joke by filing a motion to have all the charges against her and her co-defendants quashed by submitting the judgment given by Awokulehin in Asaba. In that ruling, Awokulehin had quashed 170-counts against Ibori, but again the UK court refused to play the same game, paving the way for a full trial that led to the conviction of two of the women yesterday and early today.
Nigeria's judiciary has always pandered to Ibori's whims and caprices as a result of massive corruption at the highest levels. Arrested in Dubai recently, he is now awaiting extradition to the UK, a process against which he is planning to play the “political persecution” card as his last hope.
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