Serena slips into bikini in Bahamas

Serena
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She’s known for being an incredible force on the tennis court and has been ranked World No.1 on five separate occasions to prove it.

But there’s more to Serena Williams than her sporting skill as a range of stunning images of the sportswoman on holiday show.

The tennis player showed off her incredible figure, as well as range of swimwear, in snaps taken during her holiday in the Bahamas.

Serena treated herself to a sun-filled getaway in the Bahamas following her US Open win back in September.

In one image Serena is seen strolling down what looks like a deserted beach, as she smiles back at the camera.

Her hair is loose and curly in its natural state and she is wearing a fifties style bikini which shows off her shapely bottom.

She showed off her behind in another set of images which show her in one, looking at the sea with her arms in the air and then gazing back at the camera once again.

In another image she’s sitting beside the turquoise sea looking contemplative.

In all of the images Serena appears to be alone, despite the fact she was recently linked to French coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Following her victory back in September the pretty player flew to Paris and was spotted hanging out with the hunky coach.

$15m Ibori bribe: Court dismisses intervener’s application

Ibori

A Federal High Court, Abuja yesterday dismissed the application brought by Mr. Olalekan Bayode, seeking to be admitted as a party in the $15 million Ibori bribe forfeiture matter.

The presiding judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, had on July 24, 2012 granted an interim order of forfeiture of an unclaimed $15m Ibori bribe to the Federal Government following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

In granting the order, the judge upheld the federal government’s claim that the money “If left untouched and unspent in the state it was kept in the strong room (of the CBN) since April 2007, may eventually be destroyed, defaced, mutilated and become useless.”

Justice Kolawole also ordered that the interim order should be published in national daily “for anyone who is interested in the property to appear before the court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

That publication triggered a rush of claimants.

But Bayode, who claims to be a fridge and aircondition technician filed an application seeking to be an intervener to manage the fund for the benefit of Nigerians.

He said he has decided to intervene because he did not want the fund to go the way of previously recovered proceeds of crime which cannot be accounted for by the recipients.

But a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the presiding judge rejected Bayode’s application

The statement said: “Justice Kolawole, while striking out the application, noted that it was completely at variance with the interim order of court inviting interested parties to show cause why the money should not be forfeited to the federal government.

“When I read the affidavit, I asked myself whether they really heard of the opportunity given through the publication of the interim order. While I readily overlook the misconduct of the applicant, I cannot understand the conduct of his counsel.

“The judge frowned at Barrister Femi Aina’s conduct which he said left much to be desired.

“When the order I made is juxtaposed with the application brought by the intervener’s counsel, which is professionally hollow, I consider this as a disregard to court process. Right of access to court must be made judiciously and not frivolously,” he warned.

With the dismissal of the application, the coast is clear for the court to consider the claim of the Delta State government regarding ownership of the money.

The case had been adjourned to December 11, 2012 for hearing

Lagos targets N80b from bond issuance

Lagos State Government yesterday signed a financial deal with Chapel Hill Limited, lead issuing house, with the aim of raising N80 billion through bond, which will be channeled towards infrastructural renewal in the state.

The sum is the highest ever by any state government through bond issuance and represents the first tranche of the total N167.5 billion the state is sourcing under its second bond series (by way of a book build) between now and 2019.

It is also the fourth time the state is raising funds via bond issuance to drive its infrastructural development.

The total sum is to be invested in infrastructural development which the Governor Babatunde Fashola led administration intends to focus on in the 2013 fiscal year.

Amongst the ongoing projects to which the Bond will be channeled to include the expansion and reconstruction of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Blue line rail corridor, ferry terminals in parts of the state to boost water transportation, construction and completion of health institutions such as Ayinke House within the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Maternal Healthcare Centres among others.

State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola who addressed State House Correspondents shortly after the completion of the board meeting for the deal at Lagos House, Ikeja, which attracted financial houses and stock broking firms, assured stakeholders that the money would be tied to specific projects that add value to the state economy.