Embattled former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, who is facing a 10-count charge of stealing, money laundering and corruption at a London court, yesterday, indirectly denied pleading guilty to corruption charges.

Ibori, in a statement signed by his media assistant, Mr Tony Eluemunor, also explained why he pleaded guilty to money laundering charges, saying: “Ibori did not want a long‑drawn trial where Nigeria’s name would be bandied about in a foreign court.”


According to Eluemunor, “the world was made to believe that Ibori’s guilty plea was a sudden turn around and not a well‑deliberated act that was part of a plea bargain deal. But it is on record that several Nigerian newspapers of last Sunday published different versions of that self same story; that Ibori would plead guilty as part of a plea bargain arrangement.

“Of course, that plea bargain deal would only kick in with Ibori’s pleading guilty, which he did on Monday.  After that plea, which had been successfully foretold by Nigerian newspapers, both the prosecution and the defence counsel were to return on April 16 and 17 to make their needed statements.

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I refuse to comment on this