On Monday a court in the United Kingdom has rejected a motion brought before it by Mr. Bhadresh Gohil , a lawyer to the disgraced former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, to dismiss the money laundering and forgery case against him and three others.
Southwark Crown Court judge, Christopher Hardy instead decided that Mr. Gohil, who is referred to as the "predicate offender alongside Ibori (who is currently awaiting extradition from Dubai)" are to undergo trial alongside Lambertus De Boer, Daniel McCann and others. They include former Akwa Ibom state Governor, Victor Obong Attah; the former Principal Secretary to Umaru Yar'Adua, David Edevbie; and a business associate of Ibori, Henry Imashekka.
The accused face 14 counts of forgery and money laundering in relation to the sale of V-Mobile telecoms shares by two Nigerian States: Akwa Ibom State and Delta, in which USD $37.8 million was stolen.
The accused men used front companies to defraud the Nigerian states of the said amount. In particular, a company, "Africa Development Finance Co." was named as the major conduit.
In instances cited in the case summary, an $11 million loan was purportedly granted to an aviation company that assisted Mr. Ibori in purchasing a jet from Canada; $10 million was given to "Ascot Offshore Nigeria Limited", the company that Ibori used to purchase Wilbros; and another $790,000 was granted to another fake firm "Africa Development Co." and an offshore nominee concern.
The charges of forgery concern Mr. DeBoer and Mccan. They were accused of violating the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act of the UK by creating fake documents between Delta State and Africa Finance Ltd, and also Delta and African Development Company. They are also accused of creating a false account which shows both men as beneficiaries, in order to hide the fraudulent nature of the transactions.
The trial would be the second Ibori-related one for Mr. Gohil this year. He had thought this particular case would be dismissed so that he could face the trial involving Theresa Nkoyo , Ibori's wife, a case he has tried unsuccessfully to wriggle out of), which has been adjourned till September but for which Mr. Gohil had earlier asked for a separate trial.
But even that trial has become complicated, as Ibori's wife has signaled to Crown Prosecutors that she will cooperate with them to show that Mr. Gohil was behind the money laundering activities involving her, and that she was just a pawn in the money laundering schemes of Ibori (her estranged husband) and Gohil. It is being suggested that Theresa Ibori will launch a cut-throat attack on Mr. Gohil during the trial.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has an advantage because the current Attorney General of Nigeria, Mr. Bello Adokie (SAN), has approved the use of evidence gathered by the EFCC for the Theresa Ibori trial as well as the V-Mobile trial. Those pieces of evidence were withheld by the compromised former AGF, Michael Aondoakaa, who used his extensive authority to frustrate the trial of Ibori and his associates for money laundering both in Nigeria and the UK. Mr. Aondoakaa, who was recently barred from entering the United States, appears to face the prospects of arrest and prosecution in the UK as well, over money laundering allegations.
Mr. Gohil's lawyer, Ian Winters QC, recently obtained a variation in his bail conditions from the court, enabling him to travel on a family holiday with his children and partner, but that reprieve also came at a time the UK police traced another offshore account Mr. Gohil had claimed belonged to the law firm, Arlington Sharmas, to him. Mr. Gohil has submitted two psychiatrist’s reports to show that he is under immense mental stress, but the court doesn't seem to agree with those reports.
James Ibori is currently cooling his heels in a Dubai prison, awaiting an extradition hearing and a subsequent decision to send him to London for trial. Two of his associates: his blood sister and mistress, Christine Ibie-Ibori and Udoamaka Onuigbo, are currently in Holloway prison after they were found guilty of money laundering recently by the Southwark Crown Court.
A source in Delta State told Saharareporters that the Governor Of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan, has raised $10 million through a politician-cum-business front , Victor Ochei, to ensure that the UAE judge handling Ibori's extradition is compromised in order to let the former governor off the hook.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });