The chairman of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, today
dispelled all notions of interference in the work of the agency, asserting that
the Commission works independently.
Lamorde stated this
when he received the Director, Sub-Sahara Africa Department of the Netherlands
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Michael Stibbe and the ambassador of the Netherlands to Nigeria, John Groffen in his
office.
Lamorde stated that the Commission does it
work independently and without any interference citing the prosecution of
those allegedly involved in the fuel subsidy scam as example. “We have enjoyed
tremendous political goodwill. We changed the son of Bamanga Tukur, who until
recently was the chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to court.
We also charged the son of Ahmadu Ali, former chairman of PDP to court and a
host of others. If you look at the fuel subsidy thing, it involves people of
high networth… we try to do our best so that whatever we do, we are able to
defend it,” he said.
Earlier, while
welcoming the envoys to his office, the chairman thanked the Kingdom of the Netherlands for
their support to the Commission in the fight against economic and
financial crimes. He solicited for more collaboration between the Netherlands and the Commission in the
investigation of fuel subsidy cases as he stated that most of the cases have
link to the Netherlands.
When asked by
Stibbe about two key areas the Commission would want support from the Netherlands, Lamorde stated that strengthening
the existing relationships between the Netherlands and the training of
EFCC personnel were key. “We need to strengthen existing cooperation in terms
of law enforcement activities. The other issue that is important for us is
training,” he said.
Recalling some of
the landmark achievements of the Commission, Lamorde told his guests that the
Commission recovered and paid over $200 million to a Brazilian Bank, Banco Noreste,
$4.48 million to Julianah Ching of Hong Kong, in
restitution.
He assured the
envoys that the Commission will continue to do its best to rid the society of
economic and financial crimes.
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