Former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) told reporters in Lagos that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the police were mishandling the prosecution of suspects. MUSA ODOshimokhe was there.
What is your reaction to the handling of the the subsidy probe by the EFCC?
Not just the subsidy probe; everything. I don’t rate the EFCC highly in their prosecutorial methods. I know of some of my very good colleagues in the EFCC who have performed very well and I can mention Rotimi Jacobs (SAN). But I speak generally – we are talking whether the EFCC should be restructured. Not just the EFCC, what of the police? Police is a disgrace. Because at least, EFCC are lawyers, but the police are not lawyers so the police can prosecute and prosecuting a crime is not an easy thing because you have to understand what you are doing and you have to be trained.
So, a lot goes on at the levels of law, whether EFCC or the police because they are not trained. If as a persecutor and I’m reading the file brought by Mr. X and EFCC investigating officer says this is a file I have investigated and I feel that you, the legal officer will make a charge. That is how it starts. It is the EFCC investigative side that first takes off the case; gather all the evidences and then says we think something should be done here. Do they do it? I challenge the EFCC to confirm or deny that they have a meeting where they say how many files do we have?
Could you shed light on this?
Who is the investigating officer? You, did you check to see that all the elements that constitute murder is present? They don’t do that! They just say we don’t like you, put him in the jail. Go and get witness from everybody. When you get it, collect and put it in proofs and when you put in the proofs, take him to court. In one case in Abuja, I told the judge that my Lord, I can’t read this thing. I’m entitled by Section 35 (2), to provide legal representation to my client but if I cannot read the document how can I do so? And I’m bringing that in this case too because they have charged the man with offences giving a bundle but when I read the bundle, they are all jumbled– disjointed– not even paginated.
So, if you say the man forged something, I cannot tell where I can find it. Because in the olden days, a statement with which a man is to be charged with an offence is a sacred document. The judge reads thoroughly. Here, how many judges read the proofs before they give consent? They just pile the files in the judge’s chamber and they say what do you want, consent? That was why Gani challenged the principle of consent many years ago. Consent to prosecute is a serious thing. My point is that the entire chain of prosecution that begins from investigation, to prosecution to judge’s consent is all messed up. So by the time you are in the hands of an experienced constitutional-criminal lawyer like me, they can tear it apart.
In that case, what is your position in the handling of the entire fuel subsidy crisis?
It is has not been handled well because Nigerians were very disappointed. In fact, not disappointed, Nigerians were shocked to their bone marrow that this type of thing is happening. And for me, in the maritime industry, I was absolutely stunned because I never knew that this type of thing was happening. So what Nigerians seek to see is a vigorous campaign to recover the money. But I don’t even know how much was stolen. I’ve forgotten because today they say it is this, tomorrow they say it is that. But whatever, what the EFCC should tell us now is “so much has been recovered.”
Don’t blame defence lawyers who take advantage of EFCC’s weakness. Like Seun, because Seun is entitled to the presumption of innocence, so it is you who says he has done something that should make sure that the case is respected because the matter are all being bungled, nobody has any clue what has gone on. If I were the EFCC Chairperson, here is what I would have done; I would written a memo to Mr. President, I would tell him, Mr. President, this is a highly specialised matter and I don’t have the skills to handle it. We need to retain competent private prosecutors. Agree with their terms of engagement and go to court.
That is what happens in England. In England, you have what is called the Crown Persecution Service; it is headed by the Attorney-General. It is a highly organised and proficient prosecution service. Before they go to court, the evidence must be good. That is why they nailed Ibori and that is why the same Ibori could not be nailed here. Because Crown Persecution Service is no child’s play but the ministry of justice, with due respect to them because they are my friend, is not just working. So you have no result from the fuel subsidy scam because the prosecutorial skill is weak.
Do you think a good use can still be made of the House of Representatives report on the subsidy probe?
The House of Representative report on subsidy is what informed the EFCC probe so I think they have exhausted their own part – they have done their own beat and the names they have sent off to EFCC are the ones the EFCC is now required to technically examine, so you don’t waste time prosecuting a person who turns out to be innocent.
I have also discovered from my years of experience that there is always public sentiment in everything such that while the fuel scam was a huge thing, I was shocked to be informed, even though I still don’t believe, I thought that the entire scam was as big as ninety percent, but that should have been the first thing that the EFCC should have decipher so that we know who to concentrate on, so that there is no need to work on a large number of files if most of the files will not yield result.
Nigeria has been repeated ranked among most corrupt nations in the world. How do you think the Federal Government can tackle the scourge of corruption?
First is the will- to have the desire inside. You must desire it from the inside. I want to be lawyer, I must desire it. When that desire is there, then we must translate it by asking the right questions. Now, the right question will be how do we mount an effective anti–corruption campaign? What do we have as our anti-corruption campaign? And like I said earlier to you, my good friend Larry Diamond, one of the world’s leading professors on this subject, when he gave a lecture on this topic; what rings in my ear was when he said “perception”, you know perception is almost like fear.
There is a perception that if you move about in the night you will be mowed. You may not be. So, you will say are you going out in the night? Don’t go! So there must be a perception that engaging in corrupt practices will land you in jail. In England, it is known and the thing in England is not to be caught but if you are caught you are gone. But here in Nigeria, whether you are caught or not, nothing happens to you. I have seen many people- a man who is under-going trial and who is still flying around in private jets and planes.
But if the perception is right, many people allegedly facing trial, just going around at parties, entering planes and living life as if nothing happened, won’t be doing that. That is the challenge, but if that perception is there, many people who have done the wrong things would actually by now be in jail and you wouldn’t even see them because they will be so ashamed. Another thing is to have the tools. If you don’t have the tools, no, you can’t do it. In Nigeria, there is no quest for excellence. Nobody cares. I have not seen serious attempt by the law enforcement agencies to competently prosecute offenders.
For instance, if the EFCC is competent in their operation, they will know the right court to go. The question is why is the EFCC prosecuting in the name of the federal republic of Nigeria in a Lagos State court? And you may ask: did Lagos State take those who take money from the revenue pulse to the Federal High Court in Abuja? Why should they say that they don’t have faith in the Federal High Court which is the correct court?
You joined the defence team of your client, Mr. Seun Ogunbambo, who is standing trial for subsidy fraud. Don’t you think the grounds of your application to quash the case, which you referred to as “Miranda Rights” is alien to our legal system? What, is Miranda Right and how does it apply in this case?
Miranda right is very applicable to Nigerians. It’s a name that derives from the American decision when Miranda, a black person was beaten to death by the police and Miranda’s family brought an action against the state of Arizona and the Supreme Court decided that the Miranda right is entrenched in the fifth amendment of the America constitution. Now in Nigeria, the origin of Miranda rights is quite old. It is traceable to the very widely known practice of the police; to beat people and extract information, which they call confessionals.
