Posted by From JAMES OJO, Abuja on
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] is wooing the House of Representatives to support a bill that empowes it to institute civil actions to confiscate properties of suspected criminals on trial.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] is wooing the House of Representatives to support a bill that empowes it to institute civil actions to confiscate properties of suspected criminals on trial.
Fashioned after similar laws operating in countries like South Africa, United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Fiji Islands, among other nations, Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Mrs Farida Waziri, told the lawmakers at an interactive session on Wednesday that the bill, when passed into law, would greatly assisted the commission in the crusade against corruption.
She said there was need to stop those who stole the nation's wealth from enjoying it while criminal proceedings last in courts.
'The Commission strongly believe that the bill will assist in discouraging corrupt tendencies, if the perpetrators know full well that they would not enjoy the proceeds of corruption before the completion of criminal prosecution,' she pointed out.
Titled, Nigerian Civil Forfeiture Draft Law, Waziri, said that the bill has become very relevant in the campaign against corruption in view of the long process of court action in the country.
'Honourable members, we are all aware that court actions in the country last for two, three, four and five years, or even more. This is the reality. Do we then allow those who stole public money be allowed to enjoy the stolen wealth?
'It is in our view in the commission to discourage people from corruption. Forfeiting properties amassed from stolen money would serve as lessons for others not to steal public fund, even their children would learn from it.