The chief of the London Metropolitan Police, Bernard
Hogan-Howe, has found himself in trouble after the
Scotland Yard officers investigating former Delta State
Governor, James Ibori, were involved in a “deliberate
cover-up”.
A Daily Mail report that was published on Saturday stated
hat the police boss will by next week answer questions
from UK parliamentarians.
According to the publication, a UK court was told that the
Met and the Crown Prosecution Service failed in their
responsibility to disclose documents showing that officers
investigating Ibori took bribe to reveal details of the
investigations that could have helped the convicted
politician dodge jail.
Former Delta state governor, James Ibori.
One detective on the team investigating the former Delta
state governor made several unexplained cash deposits
into his account running into thousands of pounds after
disclosing sensitive information, the report stated.
As a result of this, UK police are accusing the whistle-
blower, Bhadresh Gohil, a lawyer who had represented Ibori
in the past, of falsifying documents.
The charges against Gohil were dropped after the CPS was
forced to release papers it originally said did not exist.
The papers suggested that Met officers took bribe.
Mr. Gohil had served seven years in prison for admitting to
helping Ibori to launder some of his loot. He later claimed
he was wrongly advised to do so by his legal team.
The details of the fresh probe can be found here.
It would be recalled that Ibori was sentenced to a 13-year
jail term by the Southwark Crown Court in 2012 after
admitting to fraud and money laundering.
Two days ago, a report surfaced that Ibori’s defence
lawyer, Chief James Onanaefe surprised the Southwark
Court, London on February 10, by presenting evidence
before the presiding judge, Judge Tomlinson, of a scheme
by the Nigerian and British government to send Ibori and
his associates to jail.
In a press statement, Tony Eluemunor, head of Ibori media
office, disclosed that the evidence was the highlight of
Wednesday’s court proceedings.
