Trial of subsidy thieves to start next week – AGF Adoke
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- Category: Latest
- Published on Tuesday, 10 July 2012 15:45
- Written by PUNCH
The trial of subsidy thieves will begin next week, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Muhammed Adoke, said on Monday. Adoke, while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission would be prosecuting those found culpable
in the report of the House of Representatives Committee on subsidy regime.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN)
The revelation by the AGF, who spoke on the outcome of a meeting of representatives of the three arms of government on corruption which held at the instance of President Goodluck Jonathan, perhaps put paid to fears that the subsidy report would be compromised following the bribery scandal involving chairman of the subsidy probe panel, Farouk Lawan, and a businessman, Femi Otedola.
Otedola had alleged that Lawan put him under pressure for a $3m bribe, out of which $620,000 had been paid to the lawmaker. Lawan who confessed to collecting the bribe money however claimed that he only did so in order to expose the businessman.
The matter is currently being investigated by security agencies and the House committee on ethics.
Adoke, who briefed journalists alongside many lawmakers and other heads of anti-graft agencies, assured Nigerians that the revelation arising from the subsidy probe report would not be swept under the carpet.
Those at the briefing included the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Anti-Corruption, Senator Victor Lar; Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Mulikat Akande; Chairman, House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Mr. Adams Jagaba; Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, and the Acting Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta.
Adoke said, “The issue of the report was not discussed as an issue (at the meeting) but assurances were given that as soon as the EFCC finishes its assignment which is very soon, that you will begin to see prosecution probably in the next one week. We will begin to prosecute because the EFCC has gone very far.
“So, Nigerians should rest assured that this is not an issue that will be swept under the carpet.
“We have gone this far because we want a proper and painstaking investigation done so that when we charge people to court there will be no lapses or loopholes for lawyers to explore.”
On whether the Federal Government would review its strategy on anti-corruption war, he said the government would soon “come out with a national strategy on the fight against corruption. And that strategy will involve the three arms of government.”
Ndoma-Egba, who described the meeting as unprecedented in the history of the country, said the participants resolved to come up with a national strategy on the fight against corruption that would involve the three arms of government.
He added that the meeting dwelt extensively on the harms corruption had done, and is still doing, to the polity and the need for concerted efforts to stem the tide.
Others who attended the meeting included Vice-President Namadi Sambo; Secretary to the Government of Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Belo Sali; Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi; President of the Senate, Mr. David Mark; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal; and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdafa.
The acting President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Dahiru Adamu, as well as judges of the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos, Kaduna and Anambra also attended.
