Lawyers to EFCC: Be Careful the Way you Loose Court Cases

Lawyers to EFCC: Be Careful the Way you Loose Court Cases

Three prominent Lagos-based lawyers yesterday,  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to be careful the way they loose court Cases and that they needed to do more in the area of prosecution and win cases, to justify its establishment.
The lawyers said yesterday, in Lagos that further EFCC losses in court cases would mar its popularity in the country.

They said that EFCC needed to be more diligent in its prosecution of alleged corrupt public officials as a way to support the Federal Government’s anti-corruption crusade.

EFCC 21 Mr Jiti Ogunye said the EFCC needs to be more committed and diligent in its investigation and subsequent prosecution of those accused of fraud in order to avoid committing themselves in a case which they will loose at the end.

Ogunye said the way the charge against Mr Femi Fani-Kayode was prosecuted by the EFCC had revealed the need for a review of its handling of the prosecution of suspects.

“The EFCC’s dilatory and cavalier prosecution ended up telling Nigerians that it was not sure of what it was doing.

“The way the charge against Fani-Kayode was being changed showed that not much was properly done by the anti-graft agency.

“It has an advantage as both the investigating and prosecuting body and so will not be excused for failure to bring those charged with corrupt enrichment to answer for their deeds.

“The anti-corruption body ought to know the strength of the cases they are taking to court on the basis of their investigations,” he said.

Similarly, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, urged the EFCC to streamline the counts it brings against suspects.

“The EFCC is fond of going to court with so many counts as charges.

“It is an indication that the prosecution is unsure of what it is doing when it brings about 40 to 50 count charges against a person.

To the Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (Ikorodu Chapter), Mr Adedotun Adetunji, the EFCC needed to improve on its investigation of allegations against suspects.

“The agency has to be more diligent in the investigation of financial crimes and the prosecution of offenders.

“It needs to ensure more diligence so as to be able to prosecute more efficiently and effectively,” Adetunji added.