Ribadu-I have no investigation file for James Ibori’s $15m bribe

As the confiscation hearing of assets of former Delta State Governor James Ibori entered its fifth day in London, yesterday, the former EFCC Chairman giving evidence of how Ibori offered him $15m bribe, said 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.

Cross- examined by Ibori’s lead counsel, Ivan Krolic, Ribadu said that the only notes he had on Ibori’s alleged offer of $15m bribe was his personal notes which he lost during the period he was being persecuted by the Federal Government when he was removed from office.

Chief James Ibori

This was even as the EFCC yesterday told Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja that Prof Pat Utomi, the first defence witness in the trial of a former Managing Director of BankPHB, now Keystone Bank, Francis Atuche and two others, took loan facilities to the tune of N59million at different times from the bank during his tenure as the vice chairman of the bank. This revelation came while Utomi was being cross-examined by the EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN.

However, under cross examination in a London court on the matter of notes and records, the following took place,

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 question, he further said, “it was maliciously stolen”

At this juncture, 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 added, “I was there when James Ibori nominated Mike Okiro to be IGP.

Ibori’s counsel: Did you not keep them 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 brief case 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.

He had in the course of being cross examined by Ibori’s lead counsel said he lost his brief case containing some documents including his personal notes on Ibori while in school in 2008. In re-examination same day by  the Crown Prosecutor, Sasha Wass, Ribadu said he lost the brief case in July 2007. When reminded by Ibori’s counsel, that he said while being cross examined in the morning that he lost his brief case in 2007,  Ribadu said  ‘’everything happened in 2008′’

Apparently 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 said during cross examination that the $15m bribe was brought into a room at Senator Andy Uba’s place by Ibori’s driver and assistant, but in a prosecution witness statement by Ibraheem Lamorde, one of Ribadu’s officers invloved in the case then, that the money was brought and put in the car by Andy Uba and his domestic staff.

Krolic: ‘’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’.

Krolic then informed the judge at that point that when the prosecution informed the defence counsel that they were inviting Mr Ribadu, the defence counsel, also requested that Mr Ibraheem Lamorde and   James Garba be invited but were later told by the prosecution that the two could not obtain their visas to the UK.

Meanwhile, 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, Ibraheem Lamorde and James Garba on even the most basic issue’.

Also, Ibori who spoke to his lawyers shortly after the hearing said that he was leaving Ribadu to his conscience and God since he swore on the Koran.

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 however, put it to the court that while he would not dispute the fact that $15 million exchanged hands between Ibrahim Larmode, James Garba and Mr. Andy Uba, and further deposited to the Central Bank of Nigeria, the money was from the then Federal Government in an attempt to frame up Mr. Ibori.

The three weeks confiscation hearing continues next week.
 

Pinheiro, while presenting documents before the court said Utomi took facilities worth the amount from the bank during the tenure of Atuche. He said a N40 million facility was granted to the witness on July 3, 2008, and another draft of N10 million raised on September 23, 2008 in favour of the witness through a company, U R Maintenance Limited, Pinheiro also said one Emmanuel Utomi; his relative, allegedly received a cheque of N4 million on behalf of the witness from Clairemount Management Services, a company in which Atuche is alleged to be the sole signatory.
 

These facts were contained in a statement yesterday signed by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity,   

Wilson Uwujaren

Pinheiro further said that at the time the Board of Directors of the bank was ratifying facilities grante.d by the bank, the ones granted to Utomi and many others were not disclosed.

Utomi, however, refuted the claims, explaining that he had started servicing the loans before the bank was allegedly “stolen”.

Apart from Utomi, other board members reportedly also took various loan facilities from the bank. Mike Ajoku, a kinsman of Utomi from Ibusa in Delta state was granted a N428million loan facility while one Consolidated Business Support Services got a facility of N1 billion. The company is allegedly linked to one Ifeyinwa Osime, also a member of the bank’s board.

“On the day over N120 billion  was allegedly ratified by the Board of Directors, you could not recall whether the chief credit officer who was alleged to have made the presentation before the Board was male or female,” Pinheiro said.
 

The matter was adjourned to October 3, 4, 23, 24, 25; November 18 and December 3 and 4, 2013 for continuation of trial.

Source: Vanguard