LAST week, there were revelations of substantial police corruption and non-disclosures of vital evidence in the trial of Chief James Ibori.

In an extraordinary move, the British Crown Prosecution Service has stopped Ibori’s lawyers from making public the damaging material to any media organisation.

A letter dated September 15, by Rose-Marie Franton, acting for the British Crown Prosecution, was sent to Ibori’s lawyers and others, threatening contempt of court proceedings should any of the recently disclosed materials be disseminated.

The materials are said to be considerable and contain damaging details of British police corruption, not only in the Ibori case, but, more significantly, details of police corruption in other cases, including identifying names of corrupt police officers.

Last week, the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service issued a statement, after a six-month long review by the National Crime Agency, confirming that the case officer leading the Ibori trial and linked prosecutions, DS John McDonald, was corrupt.

The NCA Review further revealed that there had been non-disclosure of vital materials during the original Ibori and linked prosecutions.

The review was ordered by Britain’s most senior prosecutor, Alison Saunders. Saunders was alerted to the corruption on a number of occasions between 2012 and 2013. She did nothing at the time.

This week saw Britain’s most senior police officer, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, tendering his resignation six months early. There are suggestions he did so to avoid the forthcoming criticism as to his failures and possible complicity in the corruption cover-up.

He and his successor are also likely to face questions including why DS John McDonald, continues to remain on operational duties at the Met Police.

It is also understood that a number of bodies linked to the Ibori prosecutions, including the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department of International Development, DfID, have blocked the release of important materials to those it prosecuted.

During a recent visit to Nigeria by British Minister, James Wharton, the Minister indicated that the British Government would do the ‘right thing’ in view of the police corruption and prosecutorial misconduct in the Ibori and linked cases. This seems very far from the truth.

The NCA Review confirms that police officers in the Ibori case were corrupt, there was substantial non-disclosure of key evidence during the original trials and this was followed up with an audacious cover-up, all actions conducted by the British Crown Prosecution Service.

The Ibori case and the linked prosecutions represent probably the worst prosecutorial misconduct and abuse of process in recent times by those entrusted with the power to prosecute.

The controversial Ibori case is now in the full glare of the UK and international media and represents a test case for the integrity and honesty of the British judicial system and those who administer it.

The next hearing is scheduled for October 7, 2016.