FLASH: EFCC, AGF At ‘War’ Over Plans To Establish New Agency
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disagreed with the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) over plans by the Senate to establish a commission for the management of forfeited assets.
The anti-graft agency and the office of the attorney general spoke at a public hearing organized by the Senate Joint Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes; Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters; and Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions in Abuja to consider three anti-corruption bills. These bills include the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2021; Public Complaints Commission (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2022 and the Proceeds of Crimes (Recovery and Management) Bill, 2021.
The EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa while speaking on the Proceeds of Crimes Bill maintained that creating a new agency to manage recovered assets is not necessary because the anti-graft body is capable of handling such duties.
Bawa who was represented by the Secretary to the EFCC, George Ekpungu noted that the proposed agency would lead to duplication of functions and create an additional financial burden for the country.
His words: “On the proposed Proceeds of Crimes Bill, I will only mention two things, the first one is that we should remember the federal government’s white paper on the reduction of the establishment of new agencies.
“I don’t think creating a new one that would manage the proceeds of crimes is necessary. This one is like a caveat. We remember the Presidential Panel on Investigation and Recovery of Public Property and what it almost foisted on the nation – crises, confusion and drawbacks.”
In a swift response, Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami in his submission argued that a new agency is needed to recover and manage stolen assets in Nigeria.
Malami, who spoke through the Deputy Director, Legal Drafting, Federal Ministry of Justice, Godwin Iheabunike opined that the new agency will handle civil forfeiture and help Nigeria gain a good reputation in the global community.
