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A 12-member jury which deliberated at the money laundering trial of relatives and associates of former Delta State governor, James Ibori has found his sister, Christie Ibori-Ibie, guilty of all charges of money laundering and mortgage fraud levelled against her.

The jury however acquitted Mr. Ibori’s former assistant, Adebimpe Pogoson, of all charges as it prepares to announce its verdict on the third accused, Udoamaka Onuigbo, today. Ms Onuigbo has already been acquitted on one of the counts yesterday.

The money laundering trial involving Mr Ibori’s female aides began at the Southwark Crown Court, London after Ms Pogoson, (a personal assistant on confidential matters during his tenure as state governor) and his sister Ms Ibori-Ibie, were charged in December 2007 on three counts of conspiring “together with Mr Ibori, Ms Onuigbo and others to defraud the Delta State government.”

The aides were alleged to have helped the former governor to move an estimated £70 million worth of looted funds through several London banks.

Mr Ibori is presently under surveillance in the United Arab Emirates,

where his passport was seized after his arrest by INTERPOL on a United Kingdom warrant for money laundering, last month. Prior to this, Mr Ibori evaded arrest for four weeks in Nigeria after he was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly mismanaging N528 million shares of Delta State in Oceanic Bank.

Authorities in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom are calling for his extradition to face criminal charges.

A UK based solicitor, Daniel Elombah, however said there is no overt relationship between this judgment and Ibori’s troubles with the UK metropolitan police, which led to his arraignment in Dubai. “I don’t think there is any link,” Mr Elombah said. “Remember, by the time Ibori was arrested in Dubai, the trial has finished, both the defense and prosecution has summed up.”

The charges against the defendants

Ibori’s aide, Ms Pogoson, aged 39, and 49-year-old Ms Omatie Ibori-Ibie were both charged on December 19, 2007 on the following counts:

Count 1) Between the 1st day of June 1999 and the 29th day of May 2007, they conspired together and with Mr Ibori, Ms Onuigbo (also known as Okoronkwo) and others to defraud the Delta State government by dishonestly, among other matters:

(i) Being a party to an inflated price fraud in respect of the contract for the building of a sports track for the Delta State government (ii) Being a party to the provision of an inflated invoice fraud in respect of the supply of vehicles to the Delta State government (iii) Being a party to working for the private interests of James Onanefe Ibori whilst the Governor of Delta State whilst being paid by the Delta State government.

That contrary to common law, between the 1st day of May 1999 and the 24th day of March 2003 they conspired together and with Mr Ibori, Ms Onuigbo and others to enter into or were otherwise concerned in an arrangement whereby the proceeds of the criminal conduct of Mr Ibori were used:

(i) To ensure that funds were placed at the disposal of Mr Ibori; or (ii) For the benefit of Mr Ibori to acquire property by way of investment, after knowing or suspecting that James Onanefe Ibori was or had been engaged in criminal conduct or had benefited from criminal conduct.

That between the 23rd day of March 2003 and the 30th day of May 2007, they conspired together and with Mr Ibori, Ms Onuigbo and others to conceal, disguise, convert, transfer, or remove criminal property, knowing or suspecting that the property constituted a person’s benefit from criminal conduct, or it represented such a benefit in whole or in part and whether directly or indirectly contrary to section 327 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Others are, that Ms Omatie Ibori-Ibie on or about the 2nd day of November 2001 dishonestly obtained for herself or another a money transfer from GMAC -RFC Limited in the sum of £356,250.00 being a loan by way of mortgage in respect of the property known as 76 Woodhill Crescent, Kenton, Harrow, Middlesex HA3 0LZ by deception, namely by making false representations, among others, contrary to section 15A of the Theft Act 1968.

Ms Omatie Ibori-Ibie’s additional charges are:

On or about the 20th day of April 2006 she dishonestly obtained for herself of another a money transfer from Abbey National PLC in the sum of £374,000.00 being a loan by way of mortgage in respect of the property known as 76 Woodhill Crescent, Kenton, Harrow, Middlesex HA3 0LZ by deception, namely by making false representations, among others, contrary to section 15A of the Theft Act 1968.

That on or about the 3rd day of July 2001 she dishonestly obtained for herself or another a money transfer from GE Money Home Lending Limited (part of I Group Limited) in the sum of £50,500.00 being a loan by way of mortgage in respect of the property known as 139 Kingfisher Way, London NW10, by deception, namely by making false representations, among others, contrary to section 15A of the Theft Act 1968.