The Federal Government has begun moves to establish
special courts to try corruption-related cases as part of
the efforts to fight graft in the country.
Saturday PUNCH’s investigations on Friday revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari was opting for a
comprehensive onslaught against the problem of
corruption in the country.
It was learnt that the President had concluded plans to
submit a bill on the planned special anti-corruption
courts to the National Assembly.
The PUNCH had on Monday exclusively reported that
the Presidency had commenced the process of
identifying fearless judges that would be saddled with
the responsibility of prosecuting corrupt persons.
It was also gathered that the Federal Government was
planning to establish 37 of the Special Courts to try
corruption in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and
the 36 states of the Federation.
A top operative of one of the anti-graft agencies, who
confided in one of our correspondents, said that the
Federal Government decided to set up the planned
special courts because of the long delay by regular
courts in deciding corruption-related cases.
It was further gathered that the President recently
made a demand for 36 judges with the requisite
integrity and boldness to decide cases in line with the
law and not according to influence of the people or the
pecuniary gains that come with associating with them.
The anti-graft officer said, “The President is being
careful; he does not want people to do a wishy-washy
job for him.
“Buhari is pressing for the establishment of special
courts to try corruption cases. He wants the courts to
be established in Abuja and the 36 states of the
federation so that they can fast-track such cases.”
Investigations further revealed that the Federal
Government had contacted the National Judicial
Council to provide judges with impeccable reputation to
preside over the planned courts.
It was gathered that the NJC released the names of
100 judges from the 36 states of the federation to the
leadership of three major anti-corruption bodies in the
country after an internal process of selection.
The judges were screened by operatives of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the
Independent Corrupt Practices and other related
Offences Commission and the Department of State
Security on Tuesday.
It was gathered that the focus of the on-going
screening exercise is to identify judges with a passion
for the law and the constitution rather than deference
to personalities.
The officer stated, “On Tuesday, the NJC forwarded the
list of 100 judges to the anti-corruption agencies for
screening. The exercise is meant to select the judges
for the special courts the President is moving to
establish to try corruption cases.
“The plan is to get judges that are bold, courageous,
and fearless. Many of them must have delivered sound
judgements (in the past). They don’t want those who
play to the gallery..
“The screening exercise is very intensive; they are
passing through the NJC that has the list of all the
judges. When the NJC is through with its screening, it
passes the list of the judges to security operatives and
the anti-graft agencies to continue with the
investigation.
“And because this is a democracy, they have to go
through acceptable legal channels; they have to amend
the constitution to set up these courts. They want to
start with speed; even the legislatures have to be
involved to amend the constitution.”
It was also learnt that the anti-graft agencies screened
the judges by doing background checks on them,
particularly looking at their history at the bench.
The source said, “We are working on the information
we got about them (the judges). There are those who
have been compromised in the past, who will not be
part of the arrangement.”
But the anti-corruption agencies are not saying much
about the on-going screening exercise, which is said to
have entered its second phase.
When our correspondent contacted the Head of Media
and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on the
telephone on Friday, he said that he was not aware of
it.
“I am not aware of the exercise you are talking about,”
he said.
Similarly, the Resident Consultant, Media and events of
the ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti, said that he could not
comment on the story, when contacted.
“I can’t comment on it,” he said.
Also, the Acting Director, Information, National Judicial
Council, Mr. Soji Oye, said he was not aware of any
plan to create special corruption courts.
It will be recalled that the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim
Lamorde, had in 2012, when he was being screened by
the Senate, called for the establishment of special
courts for corruption cases.
He had said, “The reason for the clamour for special
courts for certain cases has to do with the processes
of law. Judges have corrupt cases and other cases to
attend to, but if we have special courts for corruption
cases, it would facilitate the process. I don’t think it
will be too much to ask that a special court be
dedicated to corruption cases.”
Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, and Executive
Chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr.
Debo Adeniran, described the plan to create special
courts to handle corruption cases as a welcome
development.
But a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Joseph Nwobike,
described the establishment of such courts as
needless.
Keyamo, however, urged the government to put certain
resources and laws in place for such special courts to
achieve their intended goals.
He said, “Establishment of special courts will not solve
the entire problem of anti-corruption cases and it will
not solve all the problems of criminal cases. But it will
go a long way if the courts are well equipped and have
rules that will help fast track such cases.
“Special courts will not address the integrity of judges
that will be sitting there. It is a welcome development
and government should go ahead to establish them but
some things should be put in place for the courts to
achieve the intended goals.”
Adeniran also described the establishment of special
corruption courts as desirable. He said such courts
would help in quick determination of corruption cases.
He said, “It is desirable to the extent that it will hasten
up the adjudication on corruption cases and will make
it easier for the judges to handle.”
But Nwobike said that instead of creating special
courts, government should focus on capacity building
to enhance the competence of investigators and
prosecutors.
He said, “It is needless. It will amount to waste of
judicial resources to set up special courts to try
corruption cases.” Source: Punch Cc. Lalasticlala |
