The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has highlighted the role of lawyers in enabling mega financial frauds, including illicit financial flows.
Speaking at the opening of the 6th Annual Criminal Law Review Conference in Abuja, Olukoyede stated that large-scale transfers of funds to offshore accounts in tax havens often require legal expertise.
He stated, “The most traumatic discovery of the EFCC in recent years was the subjugation of national interest and wellbeing to personal interest by lawyers who aided briefcase foreign investors to fleece the nation in dubious transactions.”
“The P&ID scam, the Mambilla Power Project and Sunrise issues are cases in point.
“However, based on the unique experiences of the EFCC in the prosecution of corruption cases, I am particularly interested in systemic reforms in our justice delivery system that capture: The process for the discipline and regulation of judicial officers. The regulation and discipline of legal practitioners. Ethics, values and standards of legal practice. These are essential to me because the job of EFCC is ensuring that the corrupt does not find space in our national life. And when they do, to make them pay for their deeds,” he said.
Olukoyede urged the judiciary “to address the issue of obscene legal fees senior lawyers earn from political office holders, particularly the manner in which they collect such fees which clearly conflicts with existing statutes.”
“If a lawyer would not care about the source from which a sitting governor or any other public servant pays him millions of naira to defend him in electoral tribunal, the lawyer must necessarily be mindful of the fact that the only proper way to collect such humongous amounts is through the financial system.
“Aside from violating money laundering regulations, hauling millions of naira of professional fees from public office holders in liquid cash as senior lawyers do is only aimed at tax evasion. It is needless to stress that the best act of mentoring from leaders of the bar to the younger generation of lawyers is by living out the ethical demands of the profession,” he added.
Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, emphasized the Federal Government’s commitment to reforming the criminal justice system amidst challenges such as insecurity and economic hardship.
Represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Abubakar Baba-Doko, Fagbemi called for innovative approaches to strengthen institutions, leverage technology, and build public trust.
“These challenges demand innovative, practical and collaborative approaches to ensure that our justice system remains robust, fair and effective.”
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“The Federal Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is committed to reforming and strengthening our criminal justice system,” he stated.
Justice B.B. Kanyip, President of the National Industrial Court, underscored the importance of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, in expediting trials and decongesting correctional centres. However, he noted that insecurity and economic challenges pose significant obstacles to the effective implementation of the Act.
The five-day conference, themed “Optimising the Administration of Criminal Justice in Nigeria: How to Navigate Emerging and Systemic Challenges of Insecurity and Economic Hardship,” aims to address these pressing issues in the country’s justice system.
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