The Federal Government has begun moves to
establish special courts to try corruption-related cases as part of the
efforts to fight graft in the country.
Saturday PUNCH’s investigations
on Friday revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari was opting for a
comprehensive onslaught against the problem of corruption in the
country.
It was learnt that the President had
concluded plans to submit a bill on the planned special anti-corruption
courts to the National Assembly.
The PUNCH had on Monday exclusively
reported that the Presidency had commenced the process of identifying
fearless judges that would be saddled with the responsibility of
prosecuting corrupt persons.
It was also gathered that the Federal
Government was planning to establish 37 of the Special Courts to try
corruption in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and the 36 states of
the Federation.
A top operative of one of the anti-graft
agencies, who confided in one of our correspondents, said that the
Federal Government decided to set up the planned special courts because
of the long delay by regular courts in deciding corruption-related
cases.
It was further gathered that the
President recently made a demand for 36 judges with the requisite
integrity and boldness to decide cases in line with the law and not
according to influence of the people or the pecuniary gains that come
with associating with them.
The anti-graft officer said, “The President is being careful; he does not want people to do a wishy-washy job for him.
“Buhari is pressing for the establishment
of special courts to try corruption cases. He wants the courts to be
established in Abuja and the 36 states of the federation so that they
can fast-track such cases.”
Investigations further revealed that the
Federal Government had contacted the National Judicial Council to
provide judges with impeccable reputation to preside over the planned
courts.
It was gathered that the NJC released the
names of 100 judges from the 36 states of the federation to the
leadership of three major anti-corruption bodies in the country after an
internal process of selection.
The judges were screened by operatives of
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt
Practices and other related Offences Commission and the Department of
State Security on Tuesday.
It was gathered that the focus of the
on-going screening exercise is to identify judges with a passion for the
law and the constitution rather than deference to personalities.
The officer stated, “On Tuesday, the NJC
forwarded the list of 100 judges to the anti-corruption agencies for
screening. The exercise is meant to select the judges for the special
courts the President is moving to establish to try corruption cases.
“The plan is to get judges that are bold,
courageous, and fearless. Many of them must have delivered sound
judgements (in the past). They don’t want those who play to the gallery.
“The screening exercise is very
intensive; they are passing through the NJC that has the list of all the
judges. When the NJC is through with its screening, it passes the list
of the judges to security operatives and the anti-graft agencies to
continue with the investigation.
“And because this is a democracy, they
have to go through acceptable legal channels; they have to amend the
constitution to set up these courts. They want to start with speed; even
the legislatures have to be involved to amend the constitution.”
It was also learnt that the anti-graft
agencies screened the judges by doing background checks on them,
particularly looking at their history at the bench.
The source said, “We are working on the
information we got about them (the judges). There are those who have
been compromised in the past, who will not be part of the arrangement.”
But the anti-corruption agencies are not
saying much about the on-going screening exercise, which is said to have
entered its second phase.
When our correspondent contacted the Head
of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on the
telephone on Friday, he said that he was not aware of it.
“I am not aware of the exercise you are talking about,” he said.
Similarly, the Resident Consultant, Media
and events of the ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti, said that he could not
comment on the story, when contacted.
“I can’t comment on it,” he said.
Also, the Acting Director, Information,
National Judicial Council, Mr. Soji Oye, said he was not aware of any
plan to create special corruption courts.
It will be recalled that the EFCC
Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, had in 2012, when he was being screened
by the Senate, called for the establishment of special courts for
corruption cases.
He had said, “The reason for the clamour
for special courts for certain cases has to do with the processes of
law. Judges have corrupt cases and other cases to attend to, but if we
have special courts for corruption cases, it would facilitate the
process. I don’t think it will be too much to ask that a special court
be dedicated to corruption cases.”
Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, and
Executive Chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo
Adeniran, described the plan to create special courts to handle
corruption cases as a welcome development.
But a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Joseph Nwobike, described the establishment of such courts as needless.
Keyamo, however, urged the government to
put certain resources and laws in place for such special courts to
achieve their intended goals.
He said, “Establishment of special courts
will not solve the entire problem of anti-corruption cases and it will
not solve all the problems of criminal cases. But it will go a long way
if the courts are well equipped and have rules that will help fast track
such cases.
“Special courts will not address the
integrity of judges that will be sitting there. It is a welcome
development and government should go ahead to establish them but some
things should be put in place for the courts to achieve the intended
goals.”
Adeniran also described the establishment
of special corruption courts as desirable. He said such courts would
help in quick determination of corruption cases.
He said, “It is desirable to the extent
that it will hasten up the adjudication on corruption cases and will
make it easier for the judges to handle.”
But Nwobike said that instead of creating
special courts, government should focus on capacity building to enhance
the competence of investigators and prosecutors.
He said, “It is needless. It will amount to waste of judicial resources to set up special courts to try corruption cases.”
Culled from Punch
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