President Muhammadu Buhari has said that cases of corruption lost on technical grounds have questioned the commitment of judiciary, in the fight against corruption in the country.
He said those who engage in corruption, economic and financial offences should not be allowed to go scot-free, on technical grounds.
The President said this in Abuja, the country’s capital, yesterday.
The President who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said officers in the judiciary should “consciously aim to plug loopholes being exploited in our laws by criminal elements in our midst”.
He also warned that: “The judiciary should not see itself or act as mere spectators or bystanders whilst criminals exploit mere technicalities to escape with our commonwealth, get bolder and embolden others to continue in the unwholesome act of corruption”.
Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said the agency which he chairs, EFCC was worried that corruption cases could be lost on technical grounds.
“As a commission, we do not expect every judicial decision to go our way, but there are instances the EFCC and many Nigerians have been left at a loss about certain judicial decisions where defendants, who obviously have stolen our commonwealth and those who have aided and abetted them, have been allowed to go home to enjoy their proceeds of crime on technical grounds.
“This has the tendency of negatively affecting the cherished image of and confidence in the Nigerian judiciary both locally and internationally,” Bawa said.
The Informant247 – Naija News
