* Ibori rose from petty thief to powerful state governor
* Stole unquantified millions during eight years in office
* Efforts to hold him to account in Nigeria were thwarted
By Estelle Shirbon
LONDON, April 17 (Reuters) – A British court sentenced the
former governor of a Nigerian oil state to 13 years in prison on
Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to embezzling 50 million pounds
($79 million) in one of the biggest money-laundering cases seen
in Britain.
A founding member and key power-broker of Nigeria’s ruling
party, James Ibori is the most prominent Nigerian politician to
be successfully prosecuted for the corruption that has held back
Africa’s most populous nation and top oil producer for decades.
He pleaded guilty to 10 charges of fraud and
money-laundering committed during his eight years as governor of
Delta State, an impoverished maze of mangrove creeks and
pipelines ravaged by years of armed conflict over access to oil
money.
“During those two terms (as governor) you turned yourself in
very short order indeed into a multi-millionaire through
corruption,” Judge Anthony Pitts told Ibori at the end of a
two-day sentencing at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Pitts said it was one of the biggest money-laundering cases
seen and that the 50 million pounds Ibori had admitted to
stealing may be a “ludicrously low” fraction of his total booty.
Continued…
