Chief James Onanaefe Ibori’s defence lawyers shocked the Southwark Court, London, on Wednesday, when they adduced evidence before Judge Tomlinson of a conspiracy between Nigeria and Britain to railroad Ibori and his associates to jail.
Mr. Tony Eluemunor, Head of Ibori Media Office, said in a statement that that evidence was the highlight of Wednesday’s court proceedings delayed for hours because the London Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, suddenly turned lukewarm and refused to appear in court for the day’s hearing.
According to the statement, “A thoroughly disappointed Judge Tomlinson refused to adjourn hearing to another day but issued an order by 12.30 p.m., that the Prosecution should be in court by 2p.m., as the matter at hand, professional misconduct, dishonesty, perverting the course of justice and criminal non-disclosures, lying to the trial
“Pointedly, two prosecutors, Sasha Wass and Esther Schutzer-Weissmann, were not only at the end of finger-pointing, and have been dismissed from the Ibori case, their activities are now being challenged in court for grounds of upturning all the convictions – Ibori’s and his associates’. In fact, all the prosecution lawyers plus the entire police officers that have represented the British Police have been dismissed from the Ibori case and all other cases stemming from it following allegations of corruption against them, lies and deliberate misleading of the court.
“Yet, the worst charge so far against the British prosecution came when the court resumed by 2p.m., as counsel to Ibori’s former lawyer, Badresh Gohil, dropped the bombshell. The counsel, Mr. Kamish, stunned the court when he revealed a sinister conspiracy between Nigeria and Britain to railroad Ibori and associates to jail.
“He backed this up by pointing at a document signed by British and Nigerian governments agreeing that the Department for International Development will be paid 25 million Pounds Sterling from money that will be confiscated from Ibori, before any penny is ever remitted to Nigeria. With that document in place, that Department became so aggressive as to start paying the salaries of some police investigators on the Ibori case, especially that of Detective Constable, John McDonald.
“Wednesday’s hearing was at the request of Ibori’s lawyers for the prosecution to explain their non-compliance with court orders made to ensure fair hearing as opposed to unfair trial. Mr. Kenneth Talbot represented Ibori while Kamish stood for Gohil.” – VANDUARD
