Ibori Still Has A case To Answer – Court of Appeal

The Benin Division of the Court of Appeal has announced that the former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, who was convicted by a London Court for money laundering and currently serving his 13-year jail term still has a case to answer.

This was made known on Thursday, after a ruling from a three man panel of justices in Benin.

It would be recalled that 6-years ago, Justice Marcel Awokulehin of Asaba High Court struck out a 170-count charge of money laundering filed against the former governor by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Following Justice Ibrahim Saulawa’s ruling, which was assented by Justices P. M. Ekpe and H. A Barka, the judges unanimously trashed justice Awokulehin’s ruling.

It was gathered that the anti-graft agency went to the appellate court, and urged them to revoke the previous judgement on the bases that the court made a mistake in law on the following grounds-  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, that the procedure is by way of summary trial and not trial by indictment or information; and 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.