Ibori Case Causes British Government to Shift Attention to Children of Corrupt Politicians

The British government has signaled it will begin to clamp down on the children of corrupt politicians in order to further hamper the activities of their parents.

This disclosure was made to CNN by Detective Chief Inspector Jonathan Benton. DCI Benton heads the Proceeds of Corruption Unit of London’s Metropolitan Police that executed the 7 year investigation on Ibori leading to his current incarceration.

Benton told CNN, “We hope that, by tackling the likes of James Ibori, we’re saying to those stealing from the state purse, you can’t have your children at private school in London. You can’t have a multimillion pound house in one of the most affluent areas of London. You can’t drive around in top of the range vehicles. We won’t let you move money around to buy multimillion pound jets.”

The CNN report focused on the allure Britain has for corrupt politicians, especially of Nigerian origin. CNN interviewed Robert Palmer of anti corruption watchdog Global Witness.
Palmer said, “London holds a double attraction for corrupt politicians. We are a major financial and legal center so there’s a lot of expertise, and there’s also a lot of assets that go through the British financial institution, so it’s easier to disguise your assets.” Palmer believes London also seems like a great place to spend “illicit loot”.”

To view the CNN report and video, go here