Skip to main content

EFCC’s request to retain recovered money faulted

Efcc-Operatives

Efcc-Operatives

The Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) has faulted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC’s) recent request for powers to retain a percentage of money recovered by it.

This is contained in a statement signed by the group’s Executive Director, Mr Frank Tietie, in Abuja on Wednesday.

Tietie said that allowing anti-graft agencies in the country to directly benefit from recovered crime proceeds would “serve as a bad motivation for economic and financial law enforcement”.

He argued that the request if approved, would easily transform into an “irresistible temptation for law enforcement agents to engage in unbridled confiscation and forfeitures”.

The Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, had at a National Anti-corruption Conference in Abuja on Oct. 20, requested for such powers.

Magu had called for a review of relevant laws to enable the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies to retain a percentage of loots recovered to fund their operations.

He argued that in some jurisdictions like the UK, proceeds of crime were further used to strengthen the agency.

He added that the proposed review was in line with international best practices.

“In EFCC, we have been struggling for years to build our headquarters and when I think of the billions of naira we recover, I can see what would have happened if we are allowed to apply a percentage of this recovery into our operations,“he said.

Tietie argued that law enforcement agencies should be funded by budgetary allocations only.

“Creating an element of self-interest for law enforcement agents would be dangerous to citizens’ fundamental right to fairness of legal procedure and justice.

“The EFCC currently enjoys a lot of discretionary powers under Sections 27 to 34 of the EFCC Act.

“The sections empower the commission to seize any property or freeze any bank account whenever it reasonably considers it connected with a crime.

“To exercise such powers with a motivation that part of the forfeited or `recovered loot’ would be given to the EFCC offends the administrative rule against bias.

“It also raises serious human rights issues of unfair exercise of statutory powers against citizens,” he said.

He argued further that law enforcement agencies could not afford to be biased, and should not have an extraordinary motivation for the self-interest of law enforcement agents.

“It is a duty carried out wholly in the public interest according to laid down laws which comply with the Constitution,” he said.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...
Post a Comment
Read more