Political associates of the embattled former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, met on Sunday to devise fresh strategies to help him out of his present predicament.
The state Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, led his deputy, Prof. Amos Utuama, top officials of the state government and chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party to a forum which brainstormed on charges of corruption levelled against the ex-governor.
Ibori, who sneaked into the country from the United States on Thursday, hosted the meeting at his country home in Oghara, the headquarters of Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state.
The temporary reprieve granted by Justice Gloria Okorie of the Federal High Court, Benin, enabled Ibori to return to the country.
The judge in her ruling on the application filed by the Delta State Government restrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from arresting the former governor.
She also barred the state government from releasing information that could facilitate the trial of Ibori to the anti- graft agency.
Ibori�s arrival coincided with the visit of the Metropolitan Police, which had spearheaded his trial for alleged graft in London.
Indications emerged on Thursday that the British police had arrived in the country to continue their investigation on Ibori over allegation of money laundering.
It was learnt that the outcome of the investigation in Nigeria would assist the Economic and Specialist Crimes Directorate of the Metropolitan Police when the case comes up before a London Court of Appeal in November.
The Southwark Crown Court in London on October 1 discharged the restraint order granted on August 2 against Ibori, Erin Aviation and others.
The order had prevented the former governor and other suspects from having access to their property and money worth �35m.
The temporary reprieve by the Southwark Crown Court was later reversed by the London Court of Appeal, which also de- frooze the assets of the former governor in the United Kingdom.
Reliable sources at the Oghara meeting told our correspondent that the forum reviewed the corrupt charges against Ibori by the British police and the EFCC and resolved to continue to employ legal options to frustrate the trial.
The sources said the legal team of the ex- governor was mandated to explore various options to ensure that Okorie�s order was not vacated soonest as demanded by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa.
One of the sources said,� Political associates of our leader (Ibori) met at his home in Oghara on Sunday to discuss the way forward in view of the recent allegations levelled against him by the British police and the EFCC.
�We cannot abandon him at this point in time because he made a lot of us. The forum believed that our leader is being persecuted for political reasons.
�It was a solidarity meeting. We told him that we are with him through thick and thin. We decided not to divulge the details of the meeting to the public but I can tell you that we will continue to use options available to us in law to truncate his trial by the anti- corruption agencies.�
Efforts to confirm the report from Ibori�s spokesman, Mr. Sheddy Ozoene, proved abortive as repeated calls to his mobile phone were not answered.
Oct222007