Assets confiscation: UK Court Orders Retrial Of James Ibori’s Case

A United Kingdom court yesterday ordered a retrial of assets confiscation case against former Governor James Ibori of Delta State to enable the prosecution gather enough evidence.

The London Metropolitan Police which is prosecuting the former governor had admitted in open court on the last day of the hearing that they lacked enough evidence to support  allegations of fraud, corruption and money laundering against Ibori.

The trial judge, Mr Anthony Pitts, therefore granted the Crown Prosecution’s request and adjourned for a retrial after both the prosecution and defence have made their final submissions in the hearing which was supposed to end yesterday.

 Reacting to Judge Anthony Pitts’ judgment, James Ibori said “after eight years of criminal investigations, five adjournments and over 50 trips to Nigeria, the prosecution failed to provide any tangible evidence to support their claim that I defrauded Delta State.

Their case collapsed to such an extent that on the very last day of a three weeks hearing, they were humbled into making an application to the judge for permission to start again which the Judge unceremoniously granted”.