Lawyers to former governor of Delta state, James Ibori, have accused Britain’s prosecuting authorities of serious misconduct, The Will is reporting.
The lawyers made the allegation at a London court on Monday 6, 2016.
Breaking down the alleged misconduct, the lawyers said the prosecution team failed to properly disclose information to the defence in relation to alleged corruption by a British police officer involved in the investigation.
It also accused the prosecution of making misleading statements in court.
Ibori is in a British jail for alleged corruption while in office as governor of Delta state in Nigeria between 1999 and 2007.
He is reportedly serving a 13-year sentence after pleading guilty in 2012 to 10 counts of fraud and money-laundering, according to The Will which quoted Reuters.
his heyday, Ibori was a power broker at the heart of the People’s Democratic Party, which was then ruling Africa’s most populous country and top oil producer.
The conviction in Britain of the former governor, a prominent power broker in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was seen, according to Reuters, as a high point in efforts to fight corruption in Nigeria, an endemic problem there.
Ibori’s lawyers are now questioning the process that led to his conviction, according to Judge David Tomlinson at Southwark Crown Court.
Prosecution lawyer Jonathan Kinnear, who took over the case earlier this year after the previous team stood down, reportedly said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was conducting a review into whether Ibori’s convictions were sound and expected to conclude it in August.
Reuters said if the allegations of prosecutorial misconduct were confirmed and one or more of Ibori’s convictions were quashed, it would be a major embarrassment for Britain at a time when it is trying to make a big push in the fight against corruption.
Ibori’s defence team have applied for the court proceedings to be permanently halted, especially as it relates to the confiscation of Ibori’s assets, which have been dragging on for years.
However, the judge said approving the application amounts to a challenge on Ibori’s convictions, a matter that should probably be dealt with by the Court of Appeal.
“I am being invited to trespass into matters which are beyond my jurisdiction,” he said.
The report said no ruling was made at the Monday court hearing and that Judge Tomlinson adjourned the case until Wednesday.
