EFCC Press Release
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, has so far recovered about N5billion (five billion naira) from persons
and organisations indicted in the fuel subsidy scam.
The agency’s Head, Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson
Uwujaren, made this disclosure on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 during a town hall
meeting on Fuel Subsidy organised by Africa Network of Economic and Environment
Justice, ANEEJ, in collaboration with Justice for All, J4A, at Vines Hotels,
Abuja.
According to Uwujaren, the EFCC is currently
prosecuting 13 different oil subsidy cases, while investigations are on to bring other
indicted persons or companies to justice. “Investigation and prosecution of
fuel subsidy cases have not been too easy for us but we are resolute in our
determination to ensure that we push all those cases to logical conclusion”, he
said.
While underlining the importance the Commission
places on transparency and corruption issues in the oil sector, Head, Media and
Publicity said, the Commission presently has a full fledge section charged with
investigation of oil subsidy matters and other extractive industries issues.
He thanked the organisers of the programme for
their initiative saying, “as a Commission, we welcome any initiative that draws
public attention to the monumental fraud that we have in the oil subsidy
regime”.
Speaking, Mr, David Ugolor, Director, ANEEJ, said
the purpose of the town hall meeting was to review how the anti-corruption
agencies and the judiciary have fared so far in the investigation and
prosecution of indicted persons and companies in the fuel subsidy regime and to
also agree on measures needed to be taken to put pressure on Federal Government
to do more in bringing indicted persons and or companies to justice.
According to Ugolor, “it is widespread that
payments of oil subsidy to oil marketers were inflated and several marketers
got paid for doing nothing and expenses charged to subsidy account”. He
emphasised the need to amend EFCC Act to create “special courts” for
prosecution of corruption cases.
Also speaking, Mr. Otsemaye Newton, J4A, called
for more synergy among the anti-corruption agencies and the Civil Society
Organisations, CSOs, in investigating and prosecuting oil subsidy and other
economic and financial crime cases.
Another speaker, Mr. Peter Ritchie who spoke on
“Fuel Subsidy Fraud Background” criticised the manner public funds are being
siphoned and called for prudence in the management of Petroleum Support Fund.
Ritchie also stressed the need for financial
independence of anti-corruption agencies to further strengthen the war against
graft in Nigeria
.
He however commended EFCC for the strides recorded
in prosecution of oil subsidy and other corruption cases in Nigeria
More than 40 CSOs participated in the town hall
meeting.
Wilson
Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
18th August, 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment