BEVERLY HILLS, September 20, (THEWILL) – The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has declared that Banks and their officials who helped in concealing stolen funds will not be exempted from prosecution.
Magu spoke in Lagos on Tuesday during an interactive session with the commission’s external lawyers and civil society organizations saying it was unfortunate that some banks encouraged looting by creating an enabling environment for it.
“The banking sector is creating a fertile ground for corruption,” he said.
“It is as if the banks are telling looters: Go and steal and I’ll hide it for you. This must stop.
“We’ll zoom in on the banks. We need to stop them from creating an enabling environment for corruption to thrive,” he said.
When asked if the commission would invite Patience Jonathan, former first lady and wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, for questioning over the $15,591,700 she claims belongs to her, Magu said investigation was ongoing.
“We are on it. You see, we work for the long-term. We must complete out preliminary investigations before we come out,” he said.
“The EFCC sometimes spends up to nine months investigating a case before inviting suspects for questioning. No one who has stolen public funds would be spared.
“We’ll not spare anybody. We can’t protect anyone from answering to the people. Determination is key. I believe we’ll go a long way, and that our tomorrow will be better than our today.”
Magu also clarified that the commission did not characterize all lawyers as rogues, explaining that the statement was grossly misinterpreted.
Story by David Oputah
