In support of Anti-Corruption courts
Following the news publication by Leadership Newspaper on Monday, October 14, 2019 of page 16, where it was reported that the House of Representatives is proposing a bill for the establishment of a special court for the trial of corruption and other related offences and also the possibilities of increasing the funding of the anti-graft […]
Following the news publication by Leadership Newspaper on Monday, October 14, 2019 of page 16, where it was reported that the House of Representatives is proposing a bill for the establishment of a special court for the trial of corruption and other related offences and also the possibilities of increasing the funding of the anti-graft agencies in the country, I stand to support the lawmakers for the unique project.
The House in its 2019-2023, legislative agenda indicated the reforms to bring out positive policies that will drive the nation to an all-inclusive economy and the fight against corruption as one of the issues on its top priority list.
With the available statistics from the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a non-governmental organization, committed to promoting the public awareness of anti-corruption laws and policies, showing a dangerous signal on the havoc of corruption to our economy with its claim that between 2000 and 2017, 177 grand corruption cases across the country was recorded and of the 177, 167 are pending in court while only 10 are convicted.
The organization further cried out that seven corrupt officials bought their freedom through ‘plea-bargaining’ while three were fully tried and convicted. However, the Supreme Court discharged one of the three that were fully tried.
Therefore, be it as it may, these legal loopholes which contributed to the delay in prosecution of criminal and corrupt cases needs to be nipped in the bud with the coming of the anti-corruption courts.
The damage corruption has done to the polity and the generality of the people is unimaginable and has put our country in a sorry state of affairs.
The malaise pervades all strata of the society and has gone down to the three tiers of government including the private sector.
Hardly a week passes without the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the body statutorily responsible for tackling the menace arresting one culprit or the other over allegations bordering on corruption and misappropriation of public funds.
The EFCC has tried to discharge its mandate but the Commission operates in a weak political and legal environment that is at risk to manipulation by the corrupt.
Corruption trials involving influential persons are often dragged to an endless point with unreasonable adjournments and delay tactics employed by the defendants and their lawyers.
The defendants stretch the judicial proceedings to their own advantage using the expertise of senior members of the bench, and that could account for the reasons why it took the EFCC over 10 years to secure the conviction of two former governors, Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame, on corruption charges despite overwhelming evidence.
It’s my candid opinion that If special court for corruption matters were established, one is sure the case wouldn’t last that long, because adjournment and trial dates wouldn’t be for too long and the judges wouldn’t have other cases that will distract them.
More so, is the resource in executing prosecution which has hampered the EFCC, given the spread of cases under prosecution across the country. It will shock you that in 2018, total cash recoveries in local currency stood at N216,454,497,764.25, of this figure, N4,293,725,625.27, was subsidy recovery; while the foreign currency element good at $67,290,174.49, £873,278.09; €298,055.00; Ry391, 838.00 and Dirham10, 135.00, there was additional financial recoveries in 2018 – N6,316,041,396.21 from Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS and N541, 975,500.00, AMCON recovery, totalling N6, 858,016,396.21. What about the forfeited properties?
The 141 automobiles, 44 bank accounts, four petrol stations, two hotels, 37 lands, 100 real estate, 13 shops, one tug-boat and three ocean-going vessels in a single year, is commendable and if EFCC was able to achieve this milestone, I think establishing this special court will help achieve more of the success recorded, thus far.
Establishing special courts dedicated to handling corruption-related matters will help to expedite trials and decongest the general courts. It will make the judges to be in a position to handle particular cases within a particular period. It will also help judges to come out with procedures that will help the judicial process.
The timeline allotted for such cases will go a long way to reduce the level of speculated corruption within the judiciary and a judge trying suspected fraudsters and the corrupt for graft will have the eyes of the whole world on him and that will make him focus more on justice delivery.
Iliyasu Haruna Bala wrote from Lugbe, Abuja.