James Ibori, former governor of an oil-rich Nigerian state, liked investing in Britain and putting his money in its banks. British anti-corruption investigators claim he had a "criminal lifestyle" involving accounts at Barclays and Abbey National, properties in London and Dorset and four cars, including a Bentley, a Jaguar and a Chrysler.

Most spectacularly, police claim, he bought and armour-plated a €406,600 (£293,700) Mercedes-Benz from a Mayfair showroom in a 2005 deal arranged by a Swiss private bank, carried out via a company registered in the tiny Pacific island of Niue. Mr Ibori has de-clined to comment on the claim - made in a police affidavit first obtained by Saharareporters, an internet newspaper - that these assets were part of a scheme to launder at least £20m through Britain.