{"id":9225,"date":"2018-03-21T21:18:12","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T03:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nigerianews.ca\/?post_type=news&p=9225"},"modified":"2018-03-21T21:18:12","modified_gmt":"2018-03-22T03:18:12","slug":"james-ibori-appeals-conviction-accuses-british-police-of-corruption","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/nigerianews.ca\/news\/james-ibori-appeals-conviction-accuses-british-police-of-corruption\/","title":{"rendered":"James Ibori appeals conviction, accuses British police of corruption"},"content":{"rendered":"
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James Ibori, a Nigerian politician who spent years in UK jails after pleading guilty to laundering a stolen fortune in Britain, launched an appeal against his conviction on Wednesday, alleging corruption in the ranks of British police.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ibori hopes to regain control of assets worth 90 million pounds ($130 million), which have been frozen for years. The British authorities aim to confiscate them and return them to the Nigerian state.<\/p>\n

As governor of oil-producing Delta State from 1999 to 2007, Ibori became one of Nigeria\u2019s most powerful men and enjoyed a millionaire lifestyle, with properties and luxury cars in several countries. At the time of his arrest he was in the process of buying a $20 million private jet.<\/p>\n

His conviction in 2012, after he admitted 10 counts of fraud and money-laundering, was a rare example of a big player in Nigerian politics being held to account for the corruption that has blighted Africa\u2019s most populous nation.<\/p>\n

But Ibori\u2019s lawyers allege that one of the British police officers who investigated him took bribes in 2007 from a private detective, hired by a British law firm working for Ibori, in return for inside information about the police investigation.<\/p>\n

They also allege that British anti-corruption police who were supposed to investigate the alleged bribery instead covered it up to avoid scuppering Ibori\u2019s trial and tarnishing the reputation of the police.<\/p>\n

All the people against whom allegations of corruption or bad faith have been made have denied them.<\/p>\n

The appeal hearing, being held before three judges at London\u2019s Court of Appeal, is due to last three days.<\/p>\n

Ibori was released from jail in December 2016 after serving half of his 13-year sentence, as is normal in Britain, and he returned to Nigeria in February 2017. He has re-emerged in public life there and been feted at various events.<\/p>\n

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Saturday's Thanksgiving and grand reception for Mr. James Ibori, the former Delta State governor convicted for money laundering, SaharaReporters has learned, cost the government of Delta State N250 million.
READ MORE: https:\/\/t.co\/s78h2Ai96t<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/HgAvRPLaIZ<\/a><\/p>\n

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) March 12, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n