Former Delta State governor, Chief James Ibori, who is serving a 13-year jail term in Britain, is in the news again.
On Monday, a prosecutor, Sasha Wass, at a confiscation hearing in London, revealed that Ibori hid some of his assets in one of Nigeria’s integrated oil firms, Oando Plc, and the money passed through the oil firm’s accounts into Ibori’s accounts in Switzerland.
Oando is listed in Lagos (Nigeria), Toronto (Canada) and Johannesburg (South Africa).
Declaring his readiness to present evidence, Wass said: “Ibori asserts ownership of a large part of Oando. The Crown will assert that Oando is a company where James Ibori has hidden assets”.
The hearing is to determine whether, after his release from jail in 2016, Ibori will still be wealthy enough to influence happenings in Nigeria.
When he was sentenced in 2012, he admitted stealing about £50 million.
Ibori was not in court on Monday. His lawyer said he may not attend the confiscation hearing “but may come to give evidence if necessary”.
