The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has called for a law in Nigeria to support the government’s whistle-blower policy.
Olukoyede made this call at the General Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association on Tuesday, August 27, themed “Lawyers in the spotlight: Essential anti-money laundering considerations for the legal profession.”
The focus of the discussion was about the importance of due diligence in lawyers’ practices.
Olukoyede, the government’s anti-corruption Czar, warned lawyers against the unethicality of protecting suspected criminals. He stressed that lawyers are not insulated from prosecution if they fail to do the right thing.
“It is my duty to trace the proceeds of crimes. And if I trace it to you, I will invite you for questioning, and you have to answer my questions”, he told the gathering of attorneys, who listened in a pensive mood.
“I mean, why do we talk about aiding and abetting crimes? Why do we have accessories before and after the fact? Knowing this will assist me in determining your level of culpability or otherwise”, he added.
He warned lawyers that although they are entitled to solicitors’ fees in practice, they should remember not to benefit from the “proceeds of crimes.”
The EFCC boss advised that they must know their clients’ backgrounds to avoid violating the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) regulations.
After the EFCC chair’s remark, the NBA President tried to soothe his colleagues’ frayed nerves. He asked them to receive Olukoyede’s charge with an open mind and affirmed that the NBA and the Commission should, in fact, be partners in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
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