Ghanaian banker sentenced for laundering money for Ibori

A London court has sentenced a former Goldman Sachs
banker to four and a half years in prison for helping
former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, to launder
money.
Elias Preko was convicted by a jury at Southwark Crown
Court on Monday on two counts of money-laundering on
behalf of Ibori, the Metropolitan Police confirmed.
Mr Preko, a Ghanaian national, follows Mr Ibori's wife,
mistress, sister and a lawyer in being convicted by British
courts for assisting the politician's corruption.
The banker, whose lawyer could not be reached for
comment, had left Goldman Sachs before he committed
the offences and the bank is not accused of any
wrongdoing.
Judge Anthony Pitts said that Mr Preko was 'actively
assisting' the Nigerian politician. 'You chose to involve
yourself with him as a professional man, against the code
of upstanding conduct for men in your position,' Judge
Pitts said according to Reuters.
A court hearing this September where prosecutors sought
to obtain a confiscation order against Mr Ibori ended
inconclusively but is set to be restarted next year.
The court heard that Mr Ibori unsuccessfully tried to bribe
the head of Nigeria's anti-corruption agency with $15m in
cash using a bag so full of money that two people were
needed to carry it.
The politician is serving 13 years in a British jail after
pleading guilty last year to fraud and money laundering
offences involving about £50m.