CORRUPTION, not dearth of judges is behind the slow trial of former governors and prominent Nigerians, a civil society organisation – the Nigerian Voters Assembly, said yesterday.
The organisation, in a statement by its President, Mashood Erubami, yesterday faulted claims by the panel of judges that insufficient judges and investigators as well as manual methods of handling judicial procedures are responsible for the delay in dispensing the cases involving such individuals.
It stated that the country has enough laws and judges to try corruption cases where the political will is there to do justice, saying that there are well-trained investigators in addition to the courts and judges but that their effectiveness is allegedly due to an unholy alliance between the government and the court.
The statement reads: “Contrary to the reasons given by the National Judicial Policy Committee on why the trial of some ex-governors, ministers and other Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) is slow, saying that inadequacy of judges, dearth of trained investigator and prosecutors was responsible, corruption is really at the root of the dragging.
“The reluctance of government at all levels to make scape goats of those that are politically exposed, is one good reason why those who steal and should be prosecuted and put behind bars are walking free on the streets without shame.”
Citing the example of the corruption case against former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, the Voters Assembly said while Ibori escaped justice in Nigeria, it did not take the judiciary of the United Kingdom (UK) a long time to bring the former governor and his accomplices to book.
“How many years did it take the London metropolitan police and the courts in England to investigate and bring ex-governor James Ibori and his accomplices to account?
“How many times has the same convicted Ibori escaped justices in Nigeria before he was finally nailed in London – a country where the law rules?
“Trend of politics in Nigeria have revealed that the list of politically exposed persons in Nigeria has remained and lengthening by the day, yet none of them has been seriously convicted.
“The Nigeria laws are being continuously misinterpreted infavour of fraudsters why innocent Nigeria continues to suffer degradation and monumental” poverty as a result.
“It has been further revealed that the main reason why all the Chief Judges from the states were made members of the committee as now revealed and it was to prepare the ground for soft landing of most of the Graft Masters who in the first instance appointed most of the Chief Judges in their various states.
“It is therefore unfortunate that this is the way corruption is seen by the panel and is recommended to be dealt with.
“The incapacity of the judicial system to dispose of cases of corruption speedily is now better explained by the increasing bribery funds being credited into the account of judges to subvert the course of justice.” The statement added.
The Voters Assembly also faulted the statistics to support the dearth of judges in Nigeria, saying not all 160 million Nigerians are criminal or have cases in court at the same time.
“The statistics of 4000 judges to 160 million Nigerians as given by the judicial policy committee is a fraud because not all 160 million Nigerians are criminal and would be criminal at the constant rate of criminalities in Nigeria.
“Therefore, if the statistics of 4000 judges is placed on the number of real criminals in Nigeria it will reveal the indolence of some judges and the level of corruption alliance between some judges, the prosecutors, investigators and the criminals which have been responsible for the slow adjudication process and triumphs of darkness over the light of justice.” The statement argued.
On the remedies suggested by the panel, the group said: “The remedy as suggested by the committee is not in the adoption of alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism, because crime of corruption is not a civil matter; it is a crime which must be resolved in favour of the victim through diligent prosecution and just sentencing.
“Suggesting non-adversarial approach and alternative dispute resolution as an option to resolve criminal cases like corruption is a deliberate attempt to suplantant justice and detain justice.
“There have been over whelming evidence adduced before the various courts hearing these corruption cases but due to deliberate indulgent prosecution by the EFCC and ICPC prosecutors and unnecessary but conscious long adjournment by some of the judges, which has help to the case drag creating the doubt about the capacity of the judicial system to hear and dispose of the cases as speedily as possible. This obviously has put the integrity and reliability of the judiciary at stake as justice delayed is justice denied.
“What the country needs is a special court headed by known upright Nigeria Judges serving or retired to speed up the prosecution of the corrupt in the society, so that the victims of corruption and financial crimes can sleep with their two eyes closed.”
