Piqued by the slow pace of the trial of 17 former governors in the country over large scale fraud perpetrated while they held sway, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has taken steps to ensure the conclusion of the prosecution of the affected politicians this year.
The country lost at least N350 billion to fraud allegedly committed by the suspects and their cronies, leaving the people to wallow in poverty.
In a bid to expedite action on making the former governors to face justice, the EFCC has made provision for N284.6 million in this year’s estimates to hire competent and reputable lawyers to pursue the trial of the affected politicians to logical conclusion.
Sources said that not much progress has been made in the trial of the politicians, whose corruption cases are still pending in various courts, after the initial charging of the suspects to court.
The former governors being prosecuted include, Orji Kalu, Chimaroke Nnamadi, Attahiru Bafarawa, Adamu Abdullahi, Boni Haruna, Jolly Nyame, Michael Botmang, Saminu Turaki, Joshua Dariye, Ayo Fayose, Danjuma Goje, Akwe Doma, Adebayo Alao-Akala, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Timipre Sylva and Rashidi Ladoja.
The Acting Head of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed to Vanguard that efforts were being intensified to ensure the early prosecution and conclusion of the cases.
Uwujaren pointed out that it was wrong for the public to hastily conclude that the commission had abandoned the cases, pointing out that criminal cases were not time-barred and that the matters were already before courts of competent jurisdiction.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/01/fraud-efcc-budgets-n284bn-prosecution-17-ex-govs/#sthash.qCVxDDPQ.dpuf
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