Ibori's London Lawyer, Gohil Gets 7-Year Jail Sentence

Source: THEWILL. - thewillnigeria.com

SAN FRANCISCO, March 08, (THEWILL) – Mr. Bhadresh Gohil, the embattled London lawyer of former Delta State Governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori has been sentenced to a 7-year term in prison for fraud and money laundering following his role in various financial dealings involving the former governor on one hand, and his involvement in the disposal of shares of governments of Akwa Ibom, Lagos and Delta in Nigeria’s telecommunications company V-Mobile (now Airtel) and laundering of the proceeds.

$37 milion dollars was diverted from the sale of the shares as commission and fees which were eventually laundered.

Mr. Bhadresh, a partner at Arlington Sharma Solicitors had a few months ago entered a guilty plea on all charges of conspiracy, forgery and money laundering leveled against him by the prosecution and was subsequently remanded in prison awaiting sentencing.

The Crown Court judge Christopher Hardy presided at the sentencing.

Meantime, Chief James Ibori who is still being held in Dubai at the request of London’s Metropolitan Police will face trial in the court for similar offences if the British government succeeds in extraditing him to London.

The prosecution is also seeking to prosecute a former governor of Akwa Ibom, Obong Victor Attah, former Commissioner of Finance in Delta State and former Principal Secretary to late President Umaru Yar’Adua, Mr. David Edevbie, Mr. Love Ojakovo and former banker and businessman, Mr. Henry Imasekha in the same V-Mobile share fraud.

They are all however not in custody.