Ibori $15million bribe saga: Court sets July 10 for ruling

  
Author: By Brisibe Perez

Justice Gabriel Kolawole of a Federal High Court in Abuja has set July 10 for the Federal and Delta State Governments to argue which side should claim the $15 million recovered from the former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori.

At a resumed sitting of the court on Monday, Justice Kolawole adjourned the case for hearing for the claimant, Delta State, to make its case for the money.

The $15m cash was said to have been offered as bribe by Ibori in 2007, to the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, to compromise on the probe of a fraud allegation against Ibori.

It would be recalled that a ruling by an Abuja judicial division of the Court of Appeal struck out an application by a Lagos-based refrigerator repairer, Olalekan Bayode seeking to halt further hearing in a suit pending the hearing of his appeal. Bayode applied that he be appointed as a manager to disburse the $15m bribe money to the indigents, especially widows and orphans through a charity organisation.
In the ruling, Justice Kolawole dismissed  Bayode’s application for being frivolous and lacking in merit.
The Judge held, among others that Bayode failed to show sufficient ground and interest upon which the money in dispute, should be released to him.
Justice Kolawole held that Bayode only claimed to be a Nigerian and refrigerator repairer based at Alagbo in Lagos.
The Judge further held that the Federal Government, who instituted the case, did not ask for manager to manage the fund, but applied that those with interest in the $15m should indicate, before an order of forfeiture is made in its favour.
Justice Kolawole described Bayode as a busy body, meddlesome interloper and one, who was out to mock the judiciary and the serious issue at stake.

The Federal Government had on July 24, 2012 obtained an interim order that the money be forfeited to it, pending the time anyone who may lay bona fide claim, showing cause of legitimate ownership at the court.

However, in an application filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the Delta State Government claimed that the money rightly and legitimately belonged to it and that the court should order its return to its treasury.

The affidavit averred that any money, asset or property recovered from Ibori rightly belonged to Delta State and that, same should be returned to it as it has always maintained its entitlement to any asset recovered from the former governor, as has been done in other states where assets were recovered.

The bribe money was allegedly meant to stop the EFCC from further investigating the ex-Delta State Governor, who is currently serving time in a UK Prison for his alleged massive looting of his state while in office.
When the case was called, parties were set to argue the application by Delta State, but the court said it was inconvenient in view of its tight schedule and directed them to choose a fresh date.