Ex-Oceanic Bank CEO, Cecilia Ibru, moved to LUTH

Posted by admin National Politics Thursday, December 30th, 2010

Indication emerged on Thursday that the convicted former Chief Executive Officer of Oceanic Bank International Plc, Cecilia Ibru, had been moved from the Lagos highbrow private hospital, Reddington Hospital, Victoria Island, to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos.

A source had confided in our correspondent in Lagos that the ex- CEO had left Reddington Hospital for LUTH since November 2010, saying that the development was to enable her receive further treatment.

He said, “Madam Ibru has left Reddington Hospital for LUTH since November and she has been receiving treatment from the place.’

When asked about the motive of leaving Reddington, an hospital that has adequate medical facilities for LUTH, the source added that the question should be directed to the appropriate quarters. He also claimed that there was no need for the convict to seek further treatment abroad as she claimed that she would soon complete her prison terms.

The ex-CEO, who was said to be suffering from cardiac ailment, was sentenced to six months imprisonment by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Dan Abutu, on October 8 without an option of fine.

The development was sequel to the convict’s guilty plea for granting $20m and N2bn credit facilities above approved limit by the Central Bank of Nigeria and her decision to enter into a plea bargaining with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Though details of her movement to LUTH was sketchy as at press time, The PUNCH further gathered that Ibru would regain her freedom in February 2011.

The convict had earlier urged the court to transfer her from Reddington Hospital to LUTH for further treatment. She had also through her lawyer, Margaret Orakwusi, filed an application on October 29, asking the court to transfer her from Reddington to LUTH.

But the matter could not be heard on November 2, due to the absence of the lead lawyer to the prosecuting EFCC, Dr Kanyinsola Ajayi (SAN).

The EFCC had prosecuted the ex- CEO on a 25 –count charge of alleged financial crimes before the plea bargaining with the anti-graft agency and pleaded guilty to a reduced three –count charge

In his judgment, the CJ had convicted the ex-banker on the said three –count charge and directed the forfeiture of Ibru’s N191bn assets comprising 49 properties in Nigeria, United States and Dubai to the Federal Government’s agency, the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria.

When our correspondent visited the Reddington hospital on Sunday, a source who pleaded anonymity said that Ibru had been transferred from the hospital since October but refused to disclose which hospital she had been transferred to.

Meanwhile, when contacted, the Chief Medical Director of the LUTH, Prof.Akin Osibogun, neither denied nor confirmed whether Ibru was receiving treatment in the hospital, saying that it was against the ethics of the medical profession for him to disclose whether she was a patient at the hospital or not.

”No comment. It is not right for me to disclose whether a patient is presently receiving treatment in the hospital or not. Everybody has the right to their privacy. As a rule I cannot say whether she is presently here or not,” Osibogun said.wp_posts