Ibori, mistress appear in UK court via video link for confiscation hearing
A former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, who admitted to stealing more than $250 million from the state when he was governor, and his mistress and conspirator, Udoamaka Onuigbo, appeared in a UK court Thursday via video link as the confiscation hearing of assets he stole began.
In 2012, Mr Ibori
was sentenced to 13 years in jail after he pleaded guilty to money laundering
and begged Judge Anthony Pitts for leniency.
He has since served
his term and has returned to Nigeria where he remains among the power brokers
in Delta State.
Prosecutors from the
London Metropolitan Police found that Mr Ibori used the money he stole from
Delta State to buy six houses in London. He paid £2.2 million in cash for one
of those mansions in tony Hampstead. He also bought a £13 million jet, a
£600,000 fleet of Range Rovers, and a £120,000 Bentley.
Mr Ibori also put
his children in expensive British private schools while sharing the stolen
funds with his wife, sister and mistress.
London’s The Metro
newspaper reports that Mr Ibori, a known pilferer at Wickes, a UK departmental
store, is desperately trying to retain some of the properties, claiming he
acquired them legitimately.
The newspaper
claimed that Mr Ibori may be asked to pay back £116,821 and Ms Onuigbo and his
wife Theresa, sister Christine, may be asked to return a combined sum of £2.6
million.
“Mr Ibori cheated
his way into the position,” prosecutor Jonathan Kinnear told the court. “He
abused his position of trust by systematically looting funds,” he added.
However, Ivan
Krolick, Mr Ibori’s lawyer, argued that the ex-convict was a “successful
businessman” and his assets were acquired from the proceeds of his business
dealings.
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