London court orders release of documents that may prove Ibori's lawyer was innocent

SOUTHWARK'S Crown Court has ordered the immediate release of documents and other materials uncovered by former Delta State governor Chief James Ibori’s solicitor Gohil Bhadresh suggesting British Metropolitan Police officers obtained information illegally.

 

In an ongoing saga, Chief Ibori who was jailed for 13 years in 2012 by the Southwark Crown Court for corruption, has been embroiled in numerous legal tangles with the police since he was convicted. In the latest twist, the court upheld a request from Chief Ibori's legal team alleging that officers investigating him fraudulently obtained materials and documents against the former governor and Mr Bhardesh.

 

According to Tony Eluemunor, Chief Ibori’s spokesman, Judge Tester of the Southwark Crown Court directed the prosecution to comply with his order made on January 21 and release the documents to the ex-governor's legal team. After the ruling, the prosecution had initially refused to release the documents and other materials which suggested police involvement in corruption in the case.

 

This order followed the dramatic turn of event in the case brought by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) against Mr Gohil accusing him of attempt to pervert the course of justice but which the service dropped following damaging and incriminating documents uncovered. These allegations of corruption and documents suggested that thousands of pounds were paid into the bank account of the investigating police officers involved in the case.

 

They also suggested that there was an attempt by both the CPS and the British Police to cover up this grave misconduct. Chief Ibori's defence team is now arguing that the developments have greatly damaged the credibility of materials and documents relied upon by the CPS and police in this case.

 

Subsequently, all the original CPS prosecutors and police officers handling the case have been removed from the case. Mr Bhadresh has now also approached the court of appeal to quash his conviction, claiming the police and the CPS  may have misled the court and have been neck deep in corruption.

 

This new development may totally change the whole case as the new documents suggesting police misconduct in the handling of the case may mean the last has not been heard in Chief Ibori’s trial in London. So far, however, nobody has disputed Chief Ibori's guilt as he pleaded guilty to the charges against him in court.