President Umaru Musa Yar�Adua has said contrary to suggestions that his administration is wilfully shielding Chief James Ibori from prosecution by the British authorities, he has authorised a visit to Nigeria by officers of the London Metropolitan Police who are conducting criminal investigations on the former governor of Delta State.
This development has however generated a tempered response from supporters of the former governor who warned yesterday that allowing the Met Police to conduct criminal investigations in Nigeria may have security implications for the country.
Ever since the October 1 ruling by the Southwark Crown Court which vacated its August 2 restraining order on Ibori�s property following moves by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to prosecute Ibori under the British Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, public commentators have been accusing the president of playing �soft� with the ex-governor.
The president has also been accused of being privy to the attempts by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, to frustrate the efforts of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in prosecuting some top politicians over allegations of corruption under the pretext of �rule of law�.
But in a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Communications, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, President Yar�Adua assured he would never be deterred from the �sincere and total prosecution� of the war against corruption by the status of accused persons or whatever claims they may imagine they have on his goodwill.
He also said nobody, no matter how highly placed, and no institution, no matter what it considers the rightness of its cause, would be considered a sacred cow or above the law in the bid to rid Nigeria of corrupt practices.
The statement read: �Following the ruling by the Southwark Crown Court in London lifting the restraining order on the foreign assets of former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, there have been media reports and comments suggesting that President Umaru Musa Yar�Adua is not fully committed to fighting the war against corruption.
�I would like to state with all possible emphasis that nothing could be further from the truth. President Yar�Adua remains resolute and unshakable in his commitment to waging a real war against corruption.
�As he has assured the nation before, President Yar�Adua will never be deterred from the sincere and total prosecution of the war against corruption by the status of accused persons or whatever claims they may imagine they have on his goodwill.
�In the particular case of Chief James Ibori, contrary to suggestions that President Yar�Adua and his administration are willfully shielding the former governor from prosecution by the British authorities, the President has in fact authorised a visit to Nigeria by officers of the Metropolitan Police who are conducting a criminal investigation of Chief Ibori.
�Furthermore, the President has directed the Attorney-General of the Federation to give the fullest possible cooperation to the officers of the Metropolitan Police in their quest for evidence of offences allegedly committed by Chief Ibori.
�Because the war against corruption is a process and not an event, President Yar�Adua believes that it is best to follow the path of legality in its prosecution.
�He is convinced that while this may seem unduly slow to some people, it will ultimately prove to be a much more effective and enduring approach to the war against corruption in our country.
�I reaffirm that as far as President Yar�Adua is concerned nobody, no matter how highly placed; and no institution, no matter what it considers the rightness of its cause, will be considered a sacred cow or above the law in the bid to rid Nigeria of corrupt practices.�
THISDAY learnt last night that the UK authorities may have queried the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service over the handling of the Ibori affair. The British authorities were said to be unhappy with the open admission of the Head of CPS, Mr. D.I Walter, in evidence at the October 1 review hearing, that the Metropolitan Police were still awaiting evidence from the EFCC to sustain the restraint order after two years of having initiated criminal charges against Ibori.
Walter was also said to have admitted that the prompt to probe Ibori came from the EFCC, under its international collaborative agreement, and that the entire investigation process had cost the British government about �2m (about N500 million).
Sources said the British government also expressed some concern that unless the prosecution was able to re-establish its case against Ibori, he could sue for, and be awarded, huge damages.
Aondoakaa has been accused of having written a letter to Ibori�s lawyers in the UK, which influenced the vacation of the restraint order on Ibori�s assets.
A group suspected to be sympathetic to Ibori, in an e-mail to THISDAY last night, said the Crown Court judge gave its verdict based on the facts on the ground �which is that he was not convinced that the prosecution has been able to prove its case against the former governor.�
They said one other measure being considered by �both the EFCC and the British authorities is to pressure the AG to service the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) signed between the UK and Nigeria�.
They alleged that a British agency in Nigeria would soon approach the AG with a grant of �1m to the Federal Ministry of Justice for �Law and Justice reforms� if the AG agrees to service the MLAT. THISDAY could not confirm this last night.
�This will pave the way for Metpol and EFCC to carry out massive operation that can possibly unearth things that will not only embarrass past leaders but could also have telling effects on the internal security of the country,� the e-mail said.
�The coming of the metropolitan police and its agents will burrow into every facet of the nation, especially CBN, NNPC, Chevron, Shell, Total, DPR, NIMASA, FIRS, Intercontine-ntal bank, Oceanic bank, UBA,GTB, former governors and State Governments, BPE, Federal Ministry of Finance, especially the Niger Delta Power Plant Project and the Railway Project with the intent of exposing every form of corruption that had taken place in the past to prove that they (Metpolice) are not frivolous,� it alleged.
The group named the four British Officers of the Metpol coming to Nigeria as Mr Sherperd, Peter Clarke, D.C McDonald, and D.I Walters whom they said would arrive Nigeria �on the 15th of October, 2007 for two weeks on a guided investigation of the said institutions�.
The group alleged that at EFCC’s request, Katsina State Government is to be included �to serve as pressure on President Yar’ Adua�, saying this has �serious implications for national security.�
Oct102007