Ibori Has Case To Answer, Court Says

Ibori Has Case To Answer, Court Says

The Court of Appeal: Six years after Justice Marcel Awokulehin struck out 170-count charge of money laundering preferred against former governor of Delta State, James Onanefe Ibori by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a three-man panel of justices at the Benin Division of the Court of Appeal ruled that the ex- governor has a case to answer.

The unanimous decision was delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa and James O. Iboriwas supported by Justices P. M Ekpe and H. A Barka.

The EFCC had approached the appellate court to set aside the judgment on the grounds that the court erred in law.

The appeal was predicated on four grounds-one, 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.

Fourthly, that the judgment is unwarranted, unreasonable and against the weight of proof of evidence filed by the prosecution in support of the charges.

Holding that the appeal was meritorious, Justice Salauwa resolved all the four issues for determination in favour of the EFCC and directed that the matter be re-assigned to another judge of the Federal High Court for continuation of trial.

With this judgment, Ibori will be facing trial in Nigeria upon the completion of his 13 year jail term in London.