A former Nigerian state governor who defrauded some of the poorest people in the world out of £157million of public funds may not have to pay back a penny.
James Ibori, 51, is said to have pocketed £50m from the west African nation’s oil-rich Delta State during his eight-year tenure as governor, which began in 1999.
He spent millions on lavish homes, including his £2.2m house in Westover Hill, Hampstead; fees at some of the UK’s most expensive boarding schools for his children, and a fleet of luxury cars.
He was jailed for 13 years in April 2012 after admitting fraud and money laundering offences.
He is due to face a confiscation hearing at Southwark Crown Court but has asked for the proceedings to be thrown out, claiming he did not make a penny from the fraud. Judge Anthony Pitts is expected to rule if Ibori will face a full confiscation hearing this week.
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