James Onanefe Ibori, former Delta State governor, has expressed sadness over the confiscation of over £100 million from him.
A judge in London on Friday ordered the confiscation of 101.5 million pounds ($130.34 million) from the former governor who was convicted of fraud and money laundering in London in 2012.
Judge David Tomlinson of Southwark Crown Court said Ibori should pay the sum immediately or face an eight-year jail sentence.
In response to the order, Ibori claimed that he and those close to him were being persecuted, vowed to challenge the order.
“Albert Einstein is quoted as saying that the “definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”.”
“If that is true then I must be going mad because in over a decade since the British Courts have been persecuting myself and those close to me – I kept believing that justice and fairness would eventually triumph.
“In hearing after hearing through the years, despite some of the most logic defying rulings against me- I still believed. Despite clear evidence of police corruption against the main officer in my case (evidence so strong that it caused the lead prosecutor to resign from my case) I still believed. Despite a clear victory in my 2013 Confiscation hearing which left the Judge unable to make an order against me, only to have him rule that the prosecution should start the trial afresh some years later – I still believed.” An excerpt of the release stated as sourced from Daily Trust.
Ibori added that the judge appeared to have cast aside any pretence of impartiality, while making the order, which he described as both “wholly unrealistic and unrealisable”.
“He has completely disregarded any arguments, evidence or expert witnesses in my favour. It was apparent during these last 2 days that he has forgotten many of the important elements of the case which is unsurprising as it almost 2 years since the case concluded. It has taken him 2 years to write this Judgment and in the interim he has presided over hundreds of cases, but I refuse to make excuses for him.”
