FG considers withdrawing Emirates airlines licence over Ibori
Source: Punch Newspaper By Akin Oyedele
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s battle with Chief James Ibori might have assumed a diplomatic dimension as the Federal Government is considering withdrawing the operating licence of Emirates Airline, a Presidency source told Sunday Punch in Abuja on Friday. The airline, which operates commercial flights from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Nigeria, is that country‘s national carrier. The sanction against the airline is a form of protest against the UAE authorities’ seeming unwillingness to extradite Ibori to the United Kingdom to face corruption trial, for which his sister and a female associate were convicted last week.
The former Delta State governor is also wanted in Nigeria to answer questions over alleged corruption charges in connection with his eight years stewardship. Emirates Airlines, which is based in Dubai, the commercial hub of UAE, enjoys heavy traffic of Nigerians travelling to the Middle-East country on business and vacation trips.
The airliner is wholly owned by the government of Dubai through its commercial investment arm, Investment Corporation of Dubai.A Presidency source told our correspondent that the FG was irked by the delay in the extradition of the ex-governor. A Southwark Crown Court jury in London had, on Tuesday, found Ibori‘s sister, Mrs. Christie Ibori-Ibie guilty on a 12-count charge of money laundering, mortgage fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.
Also, the EFCC has appealed in the 170-count charge case involving Ibori, for which a Federal High Court in Asaba quashed all the charges. Ibori‘s cat-and-mouse game with the EFCC entered a new phase last March when the commission declared him wanted on the strength of a fresh petition against him by Delta State Elders, Leaders and Stakeholders Forum. Some stakeholders from Iboris‘s home state led by former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, had requested the commission to investigate the ex-governor for allegedly diverting the state‘s resources to personal use. He was alleged to have used 528m units of the state‘s shares in Oceanic Bank as collateral for a personal loan he obtained from Intercontinental Bank for his private company, Ascot Offshore Nigeria Ltd.
Before fleeing abroad, the ex-governor had hibernated in his native Oghara home, where militants overwhelmed a police team led by a Deputy Inspector-General, Mr. Udom Ekpoudom, in a bid to arrest him. He was eventually arrested in Dubai on May 12 at the behest of the London Metropolitan Police and arraigned in court the following day over alleged theft.
He is currently on bail.
The Met Police had applied for the extradition of Ibori on the strength of the extradition treaty between the UK and UAE, which supports the release of suspects being sought for economic crime, among other offences. While the Met Police and the EFCC tried to perfect the documents and files preparatory to filing the extradition paper in court, Ibori fought back by seeking political asylum in Dubai. Since the ex-governor flooded the UAE with documents alleging political persecution on the part of Nigeria, there had been a lull in the extradition process. The twist had pitted Nigeria with the Arab country, which is said to be protecting its economic interests at the expense of Nigeria.
Apart from the planned withdrawal of the Emirates licence, it was learnt that the FG was considering a total review of its business and economic ties with the UAE. The source said, ”FG is not happy with the attitude of the Dubai authority over the Ibori matter. ”We will review our economic and business ties with them if they eventually grant Ibori asylum, instead of releasing him to the UK for trial. ”One of the things being considered is to withdraw the operating licence of Emirate Airline, which is one of busiest and viable routes in Nigeria. This will send a strong signal to them that we are not happy with their action. ”We have to take such drastic action to protest their lack of cooperation with the EFCC and Met Police on the extradition of the former governor. ”The FG regards Dubai‘s lukewarm attitude as tantamount to working against the economic interest of Nigeria. This is because the money he is believed to have laundered and for which we are looking for him belongs to Nigeria.
”One major way to register our protest is to hit back at the economic interest of UAE in Nigeria, which is majorly the Emirate Airline.” When contacted on the new twist, the Head, Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafemi, declined to volunteer any information. He, however, said on the telephone, ”The issue you have raised is purely a Presidency matter as you have said.
”I can‘t comment on it, because it is not within the purview of my office.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s battle with Chief James Ibori might have assumed a diplomatic dimension as the Federal Government is considering withdrawing the operating licence of Emirates Airline, a Presidency source told Sunday Punch in Abuja on Friday. The airline, which operates commercial flights from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Nigeria, is that country‘s national carrier. The sanction against the airline is a form of protest against the UAE authorities’ seeming unwillingness to extradite Ibori to the United Kingdom to face corruption trial, for which his sister and a female associate were convicted last week.
