18th October 2018, London – Commenting on news that the UK Court of Appeals has rejected the appeal of James Ibori against his money laundering conviction, Duncan Hames Director of Policy at Transparency International UK said:

“James Ibori enjoyed a lifestyle in the UK with money that was stolen from the Nigerian people, depriving them of vital resources that should have been invested in health, education and other public services. The consequences of such corruption in Nigeria have been devastating, not least in fuelling conflicts and insecurity which have seen thousands of innocent people killed, kidnapped and brutalised. Ibori is a convicted criminal with an overwhelming weight of evidence against him and we are therefore pleased his appeal has been rejected.”

“For many years the case of James Ibori was the only bright spot amidst very little action on individuals using the UK to launder wealth they had stolen from overseas. With Unexplained Wealth Orders now in use and a renewed commitment from the Government to crack down on dirty money it is welcome that this conviction is allowed to stand. We now look forward to the British law enforcement going after many more of the corrupt individuals who have used the UK as a safe haven for their illicit wealth.” 

***ENDS***