Former Governor Ibori Fails At An Attempt To Secure An Early Release!

Former Delta State Governor James Ibori lawyers made an attempt to secure an early release from Her Majesty Prison (HMP), Little Lartin, United Kingdom (UK), this failed on Thursday.

Three Court judges, Lord Justice Treacy, Mr. Justice Edward -Stuart and the Recorder of Leeds Appeal threw out his case at the Royal Courts of Justice at the Strand, said they were convinced that Ibori deserved the 13-year jail term which he got at Southwark Crown Court at the hands of Judge Anthony Pitts in April 2013.

“The judgment is wholly appropriate,” the court ruled, just before 1.00 p.m. after the lead judge had taken about an hour to read how they arrived at their verdict to a fully packed court, consisting mainly of Ibori’s kinsmen from the London branch of Oghara Clan Union.

The judges even said that Pitts had been “too generous” to give Ibori enough discounts to the effect that he actually got just four  years and about six months  - out of which he had already spent a little over a year.

As the reality of the verdict dawned on Ibori’s people, numbering over 20 (including an elderly woman of about 60, wearing a “free Ibori” T-shirt), they had long faces and started filing outside the Courtroom Seven, discussing in hushed tones.

Gets interesting...

One of the union members was heard saying about the verdict that “it’s all political,” and blaming President Goodluck Jonathan for the former governor’s plight. Another was heard saying he would be out in time to participate in the 2015 elections, while another group concluded that the defeat was the handiwork of Ibori’s political opponents in Nigeria. “The more they keep him here, the better for them,” referring to Ibori’s political rivals.

One member of the union, who spoke with The Guardian on the condition of anonymity when asked why they had come in a large number said: “We only came to support him because he is our son.” Asked if they were paid or sponsored to be there, the woman said Ibori himself sent word to the union that they should come and support him. “We meet every last Sunday of the month, and during our meeting on Sunday, the president - of the union - said there’s a hearing on Thursday and that we should try to be there. That’s why we all came.”

The judges argued that Ibori ought to get the term he received for his money laundering and conspiracy to defraud charges and  that the judge made it clear that Purnell had based his expectation on false assumption.

Source: The Guardian

@ibori supporters really! Your Soown!!!