…I leave Ribadu to God and his conscience for the frame-up – Ibori
SAN FRANCISCO, September 20, (THEWILL) – As the confiscation hearing on assets of former Delta State Governor Chief James Onanefe Ibori entered its fifth day in London on Friday September 20, the former EFCC Chairman giving evidence of how Ibori offered him $15m bribe, disclosed under oath that neither he nor the EFCC had an investigation file, notes of calls, meetings, briefings or records detailing the offer of the alleged bribe between him and James Ibori (on and around the dates the alleged bribe was given). Ibori’s lawyers told the court that the bribery allegation and the money deposited at the Central Bank was all part of an elaborate frame-up against Ibori.
While being crossed examined by Mr. Ivan Krolic, Ibori’s lead counsel, Ribadu said that the only notes he had on Ibori’s offer of $15m bribe was his personal notes. When asked to show the court the notes, Ribadu claimed they got lost during the period he was being persecuted by the government after he had been removed as the EFCC head.
THEWILL had in previous editions reported that the $15 million was not a bride to Ribadu but a part of a controversial deal reached between Ibori and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was seeking funding for his failed 3rd term agenda.
Further answers from the cross examination:
Ibori’s counsel: “Do you always take notes in the course of your work or investigation”?
Ribadu: “As a trained officer, you are supposed to take notes”
Ibori’s Counsel: “Did you take notes on Ibori in the course of your several conversations with him over the offer of $15m bribe”?
Ribadu: “I did, but lost them during my crisis in Nigeria (On Recap with Sasha Wash asking the questions this time, Ribadu threw the court into laughter when he said: “it was maliciously stolen” and Sasha tried to draw a connection with his assassination attempts and issues with the IGP Mike Okiro.
Ribadu: “The IGP Mike Okiro is a despicable human being, the most corrupt police officer I have ever seen. He made my life hell”. He withdrew my official car and police security”.
When asked if there is any connection with James Ibori and Mike Okiro, he said: “I was there when James Ibori nominated Mike Okiro to be IGP.
Ibori’s counsel: “Did you not keep them (the notes) in EFCC Office”?
Ribadu: “No, I am the Chairman, it’s not my job to keep files”.
Lead counsel: “Ok, when you lost your personal notes that contained your conversation with Mr Ibori, who did you report to”?
Ribadu: “I lost a complete briefcase containing documents”
Lead counsel: Where?
Ribadu: “In Jos while I was in school”
Ibori’s counsel: So who did you report to?
Ribadu: “I reported to my school”.
Ibori’s Counsel pointed out to the court: “Ribadu was telling the court that as the chairman of the EFCC, there was nowhere in EFCC’s office where a file was opened officially to document evidence of the $15m bribe against James Ibori prior to the offer of the bribe. This also implies that if it was never documented, it was never investigated at all. Also, Ribadu as a senior policeman also failed to report the loss of his briefcase and vital documents to the police.
“Ribadu in the course of being cross-examined had said he lost his brief case containing some documents including his personal notes on Ibori while in school in 2008. In re-examination on the same day by Sasha Wass, the crown prosecutor, Ribadu claimed he lost his brief case in July 2007”.
Mr Krolic, reminded Ribadu about this contradiction, reminding him that he had said while being crossed examined in the morning that he lost his brief case in 2007. Responding, Ribadu said “Everything happened in 2008”, thus “contradicting another earlier contradiction”, according to Mr. Krolic.
The people in the court room began to shake their heads and to snigger as Nuhu Ribadu kept changing his stories and became inconsistent under cross examination. Determined to prove that Ribadu was lying under oath, Krolic pressed him further: “is it right to say that you should have ensured that your conversation with Ibori over his offer of $15m bribe to you should have been kept in an EFCC file?”
Ribadu: “of course but in the file of the individual investigating officers”
Ibori’s counsel: Are these individual files not central in EFCC?
Ribadu: “Individual files of the officers involved”.
Ribadu had also said during cross examination that the $15m bribe was brought into the room at Andy Uba’s place by Ibori’s driver and assistant, however, in a prosecution witness statement by Ibrahim Lamorde, one of Ribadu’s officers invloved in the case then, Lamorde (presently the EFCC Chairman) had said that the money was brought and put in the car by Andy Uba and his domestic staff.
Krolic latched onto this contradiction, saying that either Ribadu or Lamorde must be lying. Trying to make Ribadu clarify the conflicting statements between him and his officers, Krolic badgered him: “you said yesterday that it was Ibori’s staff that handed the bag containing the money to you”.
Ribadu answered “Yes”
Ibori’s Counsel, “Mr Lamorde in his witness statement said it was Uba and his domestic staff who put the money in the car”.
Ribadu: “I did not sign this statement, you need to ask Lamorde why his statement is different from mine”.
Krolic informed the judge at that point that Ribadu knew there was no way the Defence could invite Lamorde and Garba because when the Prosecution informed the Defence counsel that they were inviting Mr. Ribadu, the defence also requested that Mr Ibrahim Lamorde and James Garba be invited but their efforts were frustrated as the British Police and the Crown Prosecution claimed that Lamorde, a serving EFCC Chairman who has been touring the world attending conferences, and has visited Britain an untold number of times, suddenly, could not obtain a visa to the UK to testify on the Ibori case. Same too for James Garba. At this a murmur arose from the court audience.
Meanwhile, James Ibori’s lawyer, Jonathan Epelle, while reacting to Ribadu’s contradictory statements under oath in the courts said “Mr. Ribadu could produce no investigation file and no evidence to support his claim in a case as serious as a $15m bribe allegation. He ended up disagreeing with his ex-colleagues, Ibrahim Lamorde and James Garba on even the most basic issue –whether or not Ibori was even there at all when the EFCC allegedly got the money from Andy Uba’s house.”
Chief James Onanefe Ibori speaking from the prison to his lawyers after the hearing, said: “Ribadu could not even recall the date of the alleged bribe, how many bags it was contained in, whether or not he saw the money or even who was present that day. His various statements not only fail to agree on the important issues, the statements of his EFCC staff, those who worked under him, also have failed to agree too. It is clear that Ribadu is a serial liar, who lied consistently but has not able to sustain his lies on this matter, because he has been making conflicting statements on just one single issue. How many varieties must a single truth have? Ibori added: “I am leaving Ribadu to his conscience and God since he swore on the Koran”.
The defence, when asked by the court to state its position on the $15 million alleged bribe money, expressed surprise, as they believed their position had been made known during the course of questioning.
Q.C Krolic then said “Mr. Ibori did NOT offer or give any bribe money of $15million neither was he there at Mr. Andy Uba’s residence during the alleged handing over of bribe money”.
He then put it to the court that whilst he did not dispute the fact that $15 million exchanged hands between Ibrahim Larmode, James Garba and Mr. Andy Uba, and further deposited at the Central Bank of Nigeria, that the money was from the then Federal Government of Nigeria in an attempt to frame Mr. Ibori – that is why there was no recording of the exchange of money despite the advanced notice of the event as Ribadu had claimed in court he had discussed the bribe over 20 times with Ibori before it was finally made– not even using the ordinary mobile phone handset. Even the number of times the bribe was discussed raised questions Ribadu could not answer – from the defence lawyers as they wondered why so many discussions were ever needed as Ribadu had claimed he played along once the bribe offer was made.
The three weeks confiscation hearing which entered its fifth day on Friday continues next week.
By Tony Eluemunor
