Sagay to EFCC: Arrest lawyers who receive loot as fee from corrupt public servants, politicians
The chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof Itse Sagay, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate, arrest, try and jail lawyers who receive loots as fee from corrupt public servants and politicians.
Prof Sagay stated this on Monday in Benin City, at the 2017 Annual Law Week of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Edo state branch with the theme: ‘Fighting Corruption within the rule of law in a democracy.’
Delivering a paper titled: ‘Corruption in the judiciary: the disciplinary role of the NJC vis-à-vis Law Enforcement Agencies,’ Prof Sagay expressed dismay on the way Senior Advocates shamefully approach judges to introduce them to the culture of collecting bribe.
He explained that the provision of the Constitution on Schedule 3(i) didn’t give judges the right to involve in criminal acts of corruption stressing that judges must be perfect and remain the repository of honour, integrity and high moral authority.
He said when the law court across the country fail to interpret, apply and enforce the law; the existence of the any civilized society will be endangered adding that lost of confidence in the judiciary will amount to chaos and disintegration.
“No one ever expected judges to throw caution, rectitude, honour, justice and the credibility of the judiciary to the winds by selling his judgment. This is the destructive culture brought about by election petitions which has spread like epidemic through our formerly hallowed judicial system.
“The disciplinary procedures of the NJC were not set up for such crime. That is why tragically we are now experiencing judges being tried in court like common criminals. That is why the anti corruption and security agencies have taken it upon themselves to continue from where the NJC’s authority ends.
“The bottom line is that judges enjoy no immunity from investigation, arrest, trial and conviction.
“In order to restore the authority, power and dignity of the judiciary, we must go through extra ordinary painful process of punishing those who have brought shame to that sacred institution.
“Also, the public servants and politicians who conspire to bribe and corrupt our judges deserve especially harsh punishment. The worst culprits in this sad and sorry state of affairs are the lawyers mainly Senior Advocates who shamelessly approach judges and introduce them to demeaning and shameful culture. The Senior Advocates deserve the harshest punishment of all.
“The EFCC and the police must monitor and investigate the activities of lawyers who receive share of the proceeds of crime as their fees. They should be treated like accomplice after the fact because they share in the proceeds of the crimes of politically exposed persons and once paid from that stained loot, it becomes their life’s struggle to protect and shield the primary criminals from the consequences of their crime.
“Thus, the complicit lawyer must not be spared. He is grossly in breach of the ethics of the legal profession”.
Earlier in his keynote paper, Dean of Law, University of Benin, Prof Lawrence Atsegbua SAN, stated that the law has failed as a tool of fighting corruption because in spite of laws prescribing stiff penalties for corruption, more money than ever has been stolen from the public coffer by corrupt means.
Atsegbua said all the laws against corruption will fail if disequilibrium in the social status of citizens are not met adding that Nigerian leaders lack the political will to fight corruption a situation which has hindered socio-economic development.
He said, “the consequences of corruption are far reaching. It pollutes our politics and undermine the country.”
In her goodwill message, the chairman of the occasion and Chief Judge of Edo state, Justice Esther Ikponmwen, described corruption as a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of the society stressing that if not tackled may continue to hamper the growth and development of the country.
Justice Ikponmwen regretted that the judiciary has been affected by the sting of corruption noting that any act that deviates from acceptable standard of the law profession is corruption.
