UK judge falling for a 419 scam ?

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2014/06/11/fraudster-was-paid-150000-for-work-that-was-never-finished/?

This is quite a bizarre news story.

A fraudster who fleeced customers out of more than £150,000 could be saved from going to jail – by the President of Nigeria.

But a judge at Birmingham Crown Court was told yesterday that Xxxx landed a new job as a buyer for a solar panel firm and was in negotiations for a multi-million pound deal with a renewable energy company – due to be signed by the Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan.

The deal is worth £335 million and could net Ware £2m in bonuses and allow him to pay off his debts.

How likely is that ?

Before I retired I worked in international banking and this simply isn't plausible.