Ibori drags UK to European Court of Human Rights

Former Delta State Governor, James Onanefe Ibori, has instructed his
lawyers to drag the United Kingdom to the Court of Appeal at the
European Court of Human Rights.

This was contained in a statement on Wednesday signed by his media aide.

Ibori gave some reasons for his decision, claiming that the UK
judiciary had been unfair to him.

The statement reads: "At 11 am today, judgment of the Court of Appeal,
Criminal Division, was handed down. Once again the British Courts have
unjustifiably denied me justice. The injustice contrived against me
continued at the Court of Appeal. By this denial, I have been
prevented from challenging my conviction even though the Crown
Prosecution accepts the fact that there was a proven case of Police
corruption.

"The Court of Appeal declined my application for leave to appeal my
conviction based on Crown Prosecution (CPS) and Police disclosure
failures compounded by police corruption unearthed way before I even
arrived in the UK. The allegation of Police corruption, at least of
Mr. John Macdonald, the Investigating Police Officer in my case,
started on or about 10th of September 2007 while I was still in
Nigeria. This issue of police corruption was raised by a different
agency of the UK government working on an entirely different case at
the time.

"This material fact should have been disclosed to my legal team on my
arrival in the UK but it was not disclosed because the Crown
Prosecution Service and the London Metropolitan Police knew the
devastating and fatal impact that would have had on the case against
me. The UK authorities chose deliberately to cover it up even though
my legal team asked that all-important question in open court.

"This continued cover-up, which is inimical to justice delivery, has
been displayed again today by the Court of Appeal when it denied me
the opportunity to appeal my conviction at the Appeal Court and
possibly the Supreme Court of England and Wales. This is international
conspiracy carried too far to the detriment of the integrity of the
British Judicial System.

"Numerous people have asked me to discontinue the appeal adding: 'But
what do they care. It's a matter that has to do with a bunch of
"corrupt" Nigerians. They can throw judicial decency to the dogs'.

"I say to the members of the public who have shown personal concern
for my predicament that I will strive with every breath of energy in
me to pursue the cause of justice not only for my sake but because it
is the right thing to do to make the world a better place and to
defend the rights of the down-trodden.

"So, I have put my legal team on notice to explore every legal avenue
to expose this massive cover-up – including applying to the European
Court of Human Rights to ensure that this assault on my fundamental
rights does not stand.

"As I said in an earlier statement, "The British judiciary is supposed
to rest on a strong foundation of openness, transparency and the rule
of law. My legal team have done their best to draw attention to the
issue of disclosure and the protocol associated with materials
obtained through interception. It is a short and simple case that does
not require the length of time it has taken to adjudicate. It's either
my application for permission to appeal is granted, based on the fatal
nature of the disclosure-failure, or a brutal assault on the integrity
of British Justice would be committed.

"The Crown Prosecution Service, the Metropolitan Police and the
Department for Professional Standards deliberately spat on the law
when they wilfully disregarded the stipulations of the law governing
the use of disclosures. This flaw is unpardonable in the British legal
system even in serious cases like terrorism much less fraud and money
laundering of which prison terms have been served and expired". Well,
today, a brutal assault was committed against the delivery of justice
in the UK.

"Unfortunately, I am the victim of this assault on the delivery of
justice and this ruling further exposes the failing of the British
legal system. Evidence exists which confirms the police corruption in
my case, the Court is of aware of it, the prosecution is aware of it,
and even though it was withheld from my legal team, they have now
become aware of it.

"The Court of Appeal did not permit my legal team to even refer to
this evidence let alone advance it as part of our case. Even now, I am
not permitted to disclose the nature of this evidence for fear of
committing an offence. In these circumstances, my legal team argued
that there were only two options available. One; the prosecution
should concede the appeal, or the Court should halt proceedings as an
abuse of process because a fair hearing was no longer possible.

"Disappointingly, both the prosecution and the court took the view
that saving face was more important than dispensing justice. Yet, I am
fully resolved to challenge the ruling of the Court of Appeal at the
European Court of Human Rights. Let the days be gone when British
legal luminaries come to give seminars in Africa boasting about having
the best legal system in the world.

"I thank my legal team for a great job. They have fought gallantly to
save the British justice delivery from those undermining it. I have no
doubt in my mind that justice will come my way – eventually and no
matter how long it takes".