Standup9ja: How EFCC can win corruption cases in court –
Obasanjo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday advised the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on how in corruption cases,
declaring that they needed ‘ogbologbo’ (competent) lawyers, among others.
Obasanjo, who spoke while playing host to members of the
Correspondents’ Chapel and some media practitioners in Ogun State at his
Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, also said there was no truth in the allegation
made by Gen. Ishiaya Bamaiyi that his administration wanted to kill him.
The former president said for the EFCC to be
result-oriented, it must adopt a three-pronged approach of thorough
investigation, diligent prosecution and committed judiciary.
He said, “I was reading today when the President (Muhammadu
Buhari) said the EFCC should stop losing cases. They lose cases for a number of
reasons. One, they engage more of outside lawyers. I believe that they need
staunch, ogbologbo lawyers inside that will do the work.”
He gave the second factor as thorough investigation and
third factor as judges who must be committed in fighting corruption, “because
if the investigation is very sound and you have ogbologbo lawyer to handle the
case, if you have Salamigate, you know what the answer will be.”
Obasanjo also denied the allegations by Bamaiyi in his book.
Bamaiyi was detained in October 1999 and charged for the attempted murder of
the late publisher of the Guardian newspaper and former Internal Affairs
Minister, Alex Ibru. He was, however, discharged and acquitted in April 2008.
But last week during the launch of his book, Vindication of
a General, in Abuja, Bamaiyi said the Obasanjo government plotted to kill him
in detention.
Obasanjo who played host to members of the Correspondents’
Chapel and some media practitioners in Ogun State at his Hilltop residence in
Abeokuta, said in response to a question on the matter, “My government did not
plot to kill him. My government asked him to answer to those that were alleged
to have been killed by him and that is legitimate. That if there is an
allegation that you have done something, that you have committed a crime, then
you are arrested, you should answer. And that’s all.”
No comments:
Post a Comment