$15m Bribe: FG Set To Prosecute Ibori, Lists Ribadu As Key Witness
Editor
Posted On Dec 24, 2016
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), may soon file charges against a former Governor of Delta State, Mr. James Ibori.
The ex-governor, who was released on Wednesday after spending four years on a 10 counts charge of money laundering and conspiracy to defraudwould be charged for gratification in respect to the bribe he gave to the pioneer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Nuhu Ribadu.
Ribadu has been listed by the Federal Government as a key witness in the case that would soon be filed against Ibori.
Asked to react to information he has been listed him among the list of witnesses against Ibori, Ribadu said, “I am not aware. But if I am asked to testify, I will. But like I told you, nobody has contacted me.”
He had said, “Ibori approached me with $15m to stop his investigation. The money was brought in sacks. I called my people because the money was in big bags, which two people could not carry and we deposited it in the CBN as evidence against him.”
In July 2012, the EFCC approached a Federal High Court in Abuja, requesting for a final order forfeiting the $15m Ibori bribe which had been in the vaults of the CBN for more than five years to the Federal Government as unclaimed proceeds of crime.
The ownership of the $15m Ibori bribe was on October 25, 2013, awarded to the Federal government by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, but has remained a subject of legal tussle between the EFCC and the Delta State Government.
A source at the EFCC reportedly said the commission is expected to amend the 170 charges brought against Ibori in 2008 in order to avoid a case of double jeopardy.
The charges will be attached to an application for mutual legal assistance which will be sent to the UK government.
“He can be charged with offering gratification to a public officer in order to refrain from acting in the exercise of his official duties regarding the investigation of the petition against him. This is not double jeopardy,” a source at the EFCC reportedly said.
