LONDON – Bhadresh Gohil, an Indian-origin lawyer previously convicted for fraud and money laundering, has been ordered by the Southwark Crown Court in London to pay £28 million for his involvement in criminal activities.
In 2010, Gohil, now 58, was sentenced to a decade in prison for assisting a Nigerian politician client, James Ibori, in a corruption case. The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) revealed that Gohil had benefited from illicit activities to the tune of £42.4 million. He is now required to pay a Confiscation Order of £28.2 million from his available assets or serve an additional six years in prison.
Ibori, a former Governor of Delta State in Nigeria, had exploited his position to fund a luxurious lifestyle with stolen millions. Last week, he was ordered to pay over £101 million or risk an eight-year prison extension.
The case is one of the CPS’s largest international cases. Chief Crown Prosecutor Adrian Foster praised the CPS and National Crime Agency (NCA) for their efforts in uncovering the extent of the corruption. The Confiscation Orders totalling over £128 million will be returned to the people of Nigeria.
The NCA’s Suzanne Foster declared that Ibori’s funds would be reinvested into Nigerian public services, underscoring the NCA’s commitment to combating money laundering worldwide.
SOURCE: New Indian Express
IMAGE: NgHype
