Appeal Court Upturns Ibori’s Acquittal On Money Laundering

A three-man panel of justices at the Benin Division of the Court of Appeal yesterday unanimously ruled that former Delta State governor, James Ibori, who is currently serving a 13-year jail term in a London prison, had a case to answer.
Justice Marcel Awokulehin of Asaba High Court  struck out a 170 counts of money laundering filed against the convicted former governor by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The court’s decision, which set aside the “infamous ruling” of Justice Awokulehin, was delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa along with Justices P. M Ekpe and H. A Barka.
The four grounds of appeal read, “That the trial judge looked at the proof of evidence and evaluated same as if the prosecution had called all its witnesses and trial, has been concluded. Secondly, that the procedure is by way of summary trial and not trial by indictment or information.
“That the proof of evidence clearly shows a prima facie case has been disclosed against the accused/ respondent and that His Lordship erred when he held that no case was disclosed against the accused/ respondent.”
The EFCC, had hitherto prayed the appellate court to set aside the judgment on the grounds that the trial judge erred in law.