UK Police set to seize Ibori's 40m Pounds assets again

BARELY two days after the British police arrested Mrs Theresa Nkoyo Ibori, wife of former Delta State Governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori over alleged money laundering offences, fresh moves are on to confiscate the couple's cash and properties in the United Kingdom, worth over £40million. Already, the Crown Court at Southwark in Britain has received a fresh application from the Metropolitan Police for the seizure of the cash and properties. This followed the filing of a witness statement before the court by a financial investigator, Mr. Paul Gardiner recently. The investigator is accredited by the Director of the Assets Recovery Agency which is based in Wellington House, Buckingham Gate, London, SWIE6BE. In the application, the Metropolitan Police are requesting for a restraint order of the court on its earlier directive defreezing the assets of the former governor. According to the application, there is reasonable cause to believe that the assets of the former governor were “benefited from his criminal conduct.” After affirming that he personally conducted an investigation into the financial affairs of the former governor between May 29, 1999 and May 29, 2007, Gardiner maintained that he was satisfied that an offence had been committed. For example, the financial investigator told the court in his witness statement accompanied with a bundle of documents, that the former governor within the said period, “dishonestly and corruptly obtained vast sums of money by means of his office and transferred a large portion of it to the United Kingdom in order to launder his alleged criminal property.” It was also deposed by the investigator that there are genuine reasons for the application against Ibori so as to prevent him from dissipating his assets like his dealings with Bombadier Inc. of Canada. “I have good reason to believe that £20 million cash is likely to be returned to Bombardier lnc in the very near future to a company or companies under the control of Ibori, and I fear that unless restrained these funds will be transferred out of the jurisdiction to put them beyond reach of law enforcement,” he added. The court was told that some individuals had already been arrested over Ibori's properties. Their identities were given as Adebimpe Pogoson, described as a Special Assistant to the former governor; Christine Ibori Ibie his sister who was alleged to have acted as a purchaser of services on behalf of the Delta State Government, but now resident in the United Kingdom as well as the legal owner of properties believed to have been funded by Ibori and Udoamaka Okoronkwo (aka Onuigbo) described as “an Associate who handles Ibori's banking transactions. The statement before the court against Ibori by the financial investigator on behalf of the Metropolitan Police also claimed that the former governor is the beneficial owner of the Haleway Properties Limited (Gibraltar) which has himself and the wife as Directors, while it owns the building structures situated at 7 Westover Hill, Hampstead in UK and valued at £4 million. Another property traceable to Ibori, according to the statement, is Teleton Quayes Ltd (British Virgin Islands), which is also the legal owner of 42, Great Ground Street, Shaftsbur, Dorset. It claimed that the same Teleton Quayes Limited handled “the original arrangement by Ibori, for the purchase of a Challenger jet from the said Bombadier Inc. of Canada. The same Teleton Quayes Limited is said to have purchased another property at 20, King Alfreds Meadow, Wincome Lane, Shaftesbury for Ibori. Other companies said to belong to Ibori include, Erin Aviation Limited (Mauritius) which was incorporated by Mr Gohil of Arlington Sharmas Solicitors; Stanhope Investments Limited (Niva, Polynesis) and the Julex Foundation (Panama), through which the former governor was said to have opened a Bank Account in Switzerland. The company is said to be part of a joint venture investment for the purchase of the challenges Jet. Also included among Ibori's numerous properties are, M.E.R. Engineering Limited; Panabola International Limited (Mauritius) and Wings Aviation Limited (Nigeria) through which funds were allegedly transferred also through Arlingtons Sharmas Solicitors of London for the purchase of the Challenger 300 jet said to worth £20 million. The financial investigator stated that from his findings, he discovered among other things, that $4.7 million was also transferred from the account of Parabola International corp. through the solicitors Arlingtons Sharmas of London to Bombadier Inc for the purchase of the challenger 300 jet. He identified Mr. Bhadresh Gohill as a partner of Arlington Street, London SW1 and believed to be central to the purchase of the Challenger Jet for Ibori together with Mr. Meggison, a Director with Aviation Wings of Nigeria. In giving a summary of allegations of misappropriation of funds against Ibori, the financial investigator averred as follows:- * That a money laundering investigation commenced in 2005 into the affairs of the James Ibori, who was than the serving state governor of Delta State in Nigeria. It is alleged that he has used the United Kingdom to launder funds illegally in Nigeria. * That investigation has involved extensive inquiries both in Nigeria (with the assistance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other Oversea countries and the inspection and obtaining in the UK and abroad, of massive qualities of documentary material. *That there are reasonable grounds to believe that James Ibori has been actively diverting funds that have been allocated to Delta State Nigeria for Education and Engineering projects. The funds allegedly stolen by James Ibori have been laundered through the UK banking system by James Ibori and his sister, Ibori-Ibie, his personal assistant, Pogoson and his associate, Okoronkwo. *That James Ibori, being a state Governor, was immune from prosecution in Nigeria for the term of his governorship, he has completed serving two terms as governor as of 29th May, 2007, and therefore, the immunity provision has lapsed. James Ibori now enjoys no immunity either in Nigeria or the UK for acts done whilst he was Governor. * That the investigation has highlighted the fact that it is an offence in Nigeria to hold a foreign bank account. It is a legal requirement for a serving state Governor taking office to declare any assets held to the Code of Conduct Commission in Nigeria. The declaration submitted and signed by James Ibori stated that he has no cash or bank account outside Nigeria. My investigations have demonstrated that this declaration is untrue. *That enquires with the Mayfair Mercedes Benz dealership situated at 105, Wigmore Street, London, W1U 1OY have revealed that in May 2005, a Mercedes Benz vehicle VRM XC05 AAM was purchased for approximately 406,000 Euros (£275,873) for direct export. The vehicle was purchased for James Ibori, Flat 23, 20 Abbey Road, London, NW 89BJ. Payment for the vehicle was made by Stanhope Investments Ltd, with payment instructions via Plc B Private Bank AG, 12 Charles Galland, Geneva, Switzerland. This vehicle was armour plated and was subsequently transported to South Africa. Ibori completed the original documents for the vehicle purchase. * That on the instruction of James Ibori, his sister, Ibori-Ibie transferred funds out of Nigeria. Cash and drafts were paid into accounts within Asaba, Delta State Nigeria, in amounts including £150,000; £80,000 and £70,000 during 2005. Funds were then internally transferred into a Lagos-based currency exchange company (menkat) and then on into the UK, via a company called countrywide paymasters. I believe the funds were used to purchase property in the UK. * That in addition, on the instructions of James Ibori, Okoronkwo transferred funds out of Nigeria. Cash and drafts were paid into accounts in Asaba, Delta State Nigeria during 2005. The following amounts: £199,985; £149,985 and £199,985, were internally transferred into a Lagos-based currency exchange company (Menkat) and from there into the UK via C ountrywide Paymasters. Funds were then transferred to James Ibori, Ibori-Ibie and a further individual, Terry Waya, who is currently awaiting trial for money laundering. Some of the claims also deposed to by the affidavit in support of his statement included the alleged transfer of funds totaling $1,440,000 variously between May 4, 2004 and February 18, 2005. As regards investigations into Ibori's personality and realizable property, it was averred that born on August 4, 1958, he would have earned a modest £12,000 per annum, while serving as State Governor in Nigeria. It was also the investigator's claim that Ibori paid £2.3 million on the property known as 7, Westover Hill, London, HA3 DL2 title MX207021, which was registered in the name of Haleway Properties Limited of which both James Ibori and Theresa Ibori are the beneficial owners. Some of the vehicles traceable to James Ibori in London were identified simply as Bentley Continental GT registration LK54NFT, Chrysler registration number LN51FRT and Jaguar registration number W933VLP, apart from the Marybach McClaren registration number XC05 AAM based in South Africa. In stating that criminal investigation was being undertaken with a view to beginning the potential prosecution of James Ibori in the UK, the affidavit deposed to against him contended that “the former governor has committed offences warranting a confiscation order pursuant a confiscation order pursuant to section 6 of the proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Similarly, he added, “I believe that the defendant has a criminal lifestyle assumptions of section 10 of the Proceeds of crime Act 2002 and Schedule 2 of the Act namely Money laundering contrary to Section 328 proceeds of crime Act 2002. After admitting that the possible legitimate sources of income of James Ibori included the payments of £2.98m from Chevron oil and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) to M.E.R. Engineering as well as rental on 2 large houseboats (sleeping 70 persons), he had no reason to have transferred the monies to the UK for his own benefit since he seized to be a shareholder after taking office as a state Governor. Gardiner therefore implored the court to grant his request for a restraint order against Ibori in respect of his properties in the UK namely:- 7 Westover Hill, London, NW37vit, Tille number NGL 624486. in the name of Haleway Properties Limited; Flat 23, 20 Abbey Road London, NW89BJ Title number NGL 699019 in the name of James Ibori and 42, Great Ground, Shaftsbury, Dorset, SP7. Title number DT 326978 in Dorset, SP7. Title number DT 326978 in the name of Teleton Quays Limited. The others include, Bentely Continental GT registration LK54NFT registration XC005 AAM I bid; Chryster registration number LN51FRT, I bid; Jaguar registration number W933VLP I bid, Challenger 300 Aircraft, alternately any names proposed to be returned by Bombardier Inc. in respect of the termination of the proposed purchase. The others are, Barclays Bank Plc Account number 0011-5916 sort 20 47-42 in the name of James Ibori, Abbey National Instant Saver Account Number X105847511BC in the name of James Ibori Trustee for Miss Osaseri Ibie, all Accounts held by Stanhope Investments Limited at PKB Private Bank AG, Switzerland and all other assets held by or on behalf of Stanhope Investment Limited as well as all assets held by or on behalf of telethon Quays Limited. Meanwhile, no definite has been given for the hearing of the application for the seizure of James Ibori's properties, including cash in the UK.