$15m Ibori Bribe: Clark Calls For Lamorde’s Removal

The former minister of information, Chief Edwin Clark has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to remove the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde on the grounds that he has been very economical with facts on the origin of the $15 million bribe money ex-governor James Ibori allegedly gave to former EFCC boss, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

Clark who stated this in a press conference he held in his Asokoro, Abuja residence to demand for the return of the bribe money to Delta State government added that the present EFCC manned by Lamorde is highly incompetent and morally corrupt to fight corruption in the country.

The Ijaw federation leader consequently asked the federal government to establish and constitute a more robust anti-graft body that can stamp out corruption in our system.

Clark alleged that the current stand of the EFCC leadership by denying Delta State as the origin of the $15 million bribe money was just for the commission to collect 30 per cent of the money if the money is paid to the federal government.

The former information minister also alleged that it is for the same reason that the three senior advocates of Nigeria (SAN) also deposed to an affidavit arguing that? the money belong to Chief Chibuike Achigbu

Achigbu? had hired? Adeniyi Akintola, Okey Amaechi and Abiodun Owonikoko, all SANs and seven other lawyers to argue on his behalf? that he gave the money to Senator Andy Uba, for the purpose of financing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2007 general elections and that the money is his.

Clark said Lamorde had? as at December 12, 2007 corroborated Ribadu’s statement that Ibori handed the bribe money to them in Andy Uba’s house in the villa, meaning that the origin of the bribe money is from Delta State.

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