By Bode Gbadebo
The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered the sum
of $3.1billion, which is over N600 billion, in less than six months, the
chairman of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on
Financial Crimes, Hon. Kayode Oladele, has said. The lawmaker,
who spoke to select journalists in Abuja yesterday, also noted that the
public need to understand that not all recovered property, cash or any
other asset by the anti-graft agency are immediately forfeited to the
government’s coffers as they remain exhibits until when a judicial
pronouncement is made by the court.
Oladele pointed out that the
often questioning of the agency’s modus operandi by politicians was just
to cast aspersions on the integrity of the EFCC in its effort to rid
the country of corruption.
“People just bring up questions to
discredit and to reduce the credibility of the agency. So far, with an
agency collecting $3.1 billion in less than six months, people should
really give them a lot of accolades,” he said.
On the status of
the recovered monies by the EFCC, Oladele said “When you talk of money
being remitted to the national treasury, it is something you have to
look at very well in a different perspective because when you collect
money and unless somebody voluntarily says ‘this money is stolen’ and he
is really giving it up, any money collected by EFCC, unless there is
voluntary admission of guilt, is still regarded as an exhibit for the
purpose of conviction.”
“So, EFCC cannot just collect money and
begin to pay into national treasury. What if at the end of the day the
person from whose hand they collected the money is acquitted? Who will
pay back the money?” he added.
Oladele, however, said the agency
operates a Recovery Account where the recovered funds are deposited to
yield compound interest, noting that an accused will get his money back
with accumulated interest in the event he or she is not convicted.
Source: leadership.ng
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