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A team of lawyers, led by Aiden Anthony and Pwamaddi Maboyofe Shagnah, has written the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the recent 14-year jail sentence for former governor of Taraba State, Jolly Nyame by a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court.
In the petition copied to President Muhammadu Buhari; Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay; Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Executive Secretary, Human Rights Commission, as well as media organisations among others, and made available to newsmen yesterday in Jalingo, the counsel held that the judgment “was compromised.”
They noted that “ it has become very obvious that this case has been compromised by the commission’s team of investigators.”
Citing the “failure” of the anti-graft to bring to book some prominent cabinet members of the administration of the erstwhile governor, the lawyers harped on the need for the commission to revisit the case and track down “perpetrators” whom they said “ aid and abet” the said crime.
The petitioners regretted the “deliberate failures” of the EFCC to “charge and arraign the former Commissioner for Finance and many other government officials,” whom according to them, “were allegedly involved in the series of criminal activities that cost the Taraba State government whopping sums of money.”
Citing page 284, paragraph 2, lines 6 to 8 of the judgment delivered by Justice A.A. Banjoko, the petitioners noted that “it is amazing that none of those permanent secretaries, commissioners and officials of Taraba State were arraigned before any other court of law.”
Dissatisfied with the commission’s investigation team, the lawyers canvassed a disciplinary action for their alleged refusal to do the needful while executing their assigned constitutional responsibilities.
The petition reads in part: “And also the commission’s team of investigators should be summoned to face disciplinary action for their gross misconduct and abuse of office by compromising the case against the suspects.”
Urging an accelerated treatment of the petition, the legal practitioners vowed to sue the EFCC in any court globally if the issue is treated with disdain.
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In the petition copied to President Muhammadu Buhari; Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay; Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Executive Secretary, Human Rights Commission, as well as media organisations among others, and made available to newsmen yesterday in Jalingo, the counsel held that the judgment “was compromised.”
They noted that “ it has become very obvious that this case has been compromised by the commission’s team of investigators.”
Citing the “failure” of the anti-graft to bring to book some prominent cabinet members of the administration of the erstwhile governor, the lawyers harped on the need for the commission to revisit the case and track down “perpetrators” whom they said “ aid and abet” the said crime.
The petitioners regretted the “deliberate failures” of the EFCC to “charge and arraign the former Commissioner for Finance and many other government officials,” whom according to them, “were allegedly involved in the series of criminal activities that cost the Taraba State government whopping sums of money.”
Citing page 284, paragraph 2, lines 6 to 8 of the judgment delivered by Justice A.A. Banjoko, the petitioners noted that “it is amazing that none of those permanent secretaries, commissioners and officials of Taraba State were arraigned before any other court of law.”
Dissatisfied with the commission’s investigation team, the lawyers canvassed a disciplinary action for their alleged refusal to do the needful while executing their assigned constitutional responsibilities.
The petition reads in part: “And also the commission’s team of investigators should be summoned to face disciplinary action for their gross misconduct and abuse of office by compromising the case against the suspects.”
Urging an accelerated treatment of the petition, the legal practitioners vowed to sue the EFCC in any court globally if the issue is treated with disdain.
In this article: