The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has demanded that a thorough investigation be carried out by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
into the bribery allegations levelled against its officers.
On Tuesday, VeryDarkMan, born Martins Otse, shared a video online wherein Idris Bobrisky Okuneye claimed he bribed some EFCC officials with N15 million to drop the money laundering charges against him.
Bobrisky, a Lagos socialite was released from prison on August 5 after serving his six-month term for abusing the naira.
The EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, ordered an immediate investigation into the allegations.
VeryDarkMan and Bobrisky have been invited to the commission’s office in Lagos for questioning.
In a statement on Wednesday, Afam Osigwe, NBA president, commended the “timely” decision of the EFCC to investigate the matter.
Osigwe said the investigation would serve as a test to show the transparency of the commission’s process and procedures for charging defendants to court.
“The allegation of bribery to reduce or drop charges is very disturbing,” he said.
“An urgent and thorough investigation is needed to determine whether bribes were paid or are sometimes paid to influence the nature of charges brought against defendants in criminal cases.
“This investigation will also test the transparency of the investigative process and the procedures for charging defendants in court.
“The investigation by the EFCC should determine whether or not there was any financial inducement by Bobrisky or anyone on his behalf in exchange for the dropping of money laundering charges against him. Any person found complicit must face the full weight of the law.
“The NBA acknowledges that all individuals and institutions accused are entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. However, we insist that a swift and thorough investigation be carried out to establish the truth. If any public official is found culpable, appropriate legal actions must be taken to hold them accountable.”
The NBA also asked the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) to also provide transparent details on the conditions under which Bobrisky served his sentence.
“If it is proven that he was allowed to serve his sentence outside a correctional facility, in breach of the law and a court order, the officers and officials responsible must be prosecuted and dismissed from service,” the statement read.
“We also call upon the attorney-general of the federation, EFCC, and the office of the National Security Adviser to independently investigate allegations that a convict paid a bribe to be allowed to serve prison time in a private residence instead of in a correctional facility, as well as the allegation that a bribe was demanded in exchange for a government pardon.
“We believe that this investigation will provide the individuals named in these allegations the opportunity to clarify their roles (if any) in this matter. If these allegations are found to be true, it would not only mock our correctional system but also serve as a wake-up call for necessary reforms in our prosecutorial and correctional processes.
Earlier, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior, has also ordered a comprehensive investigation into bribery allegations within the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
