Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called Olisa Agbakobia to desist from making up unconstitutional comments on the activities of the commission in its drive to wipe corruption out of the country.
Newsonline reports that EFCC said that statement by Agbakobia SAN that the commission lacked the capacity to probe financial fraud committed by state governments was wrong and misleading.
Recall that a Federal High Court in Abuja reminded the nephew (Aliyu Bello) of Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi State, for allegedly withdrawing N10 billion from the state’s treasury cash.
Agbakobia in a press briefing on Monday said “EFCC not only disregards the rule of law, but has no business inquiring into how the Kogi State Government spends its funds.”
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In a press statement, EFCC said Agbakobia’s media engagement was to cast aspersion on the agency in its drive for a corrupt-free country.
The anti-graft agency further questioned the interest of Agbakobia in a case he is not a counsel. EFCC added that Agbakobia as an old wig ought to have known that he should not have spoken on a case already in court.
The statement read partly, “the Commission takes great exception at the indecorous and utterly irresponsible attempt by Agbakoba to dress it in the borrowed garb of a lawless entity and a meddlesome interloper, who has no business probing the stealing of Kogi State resources.
“In all his tirades, no evidence was presented to support his claim that the EFCC has been lawless, nor did he mention any law which the Commission’s investigation of the finances of the Kogi State Government violated.
“Instead, his refrain was to a non-extent decision of the Supreme Court which he also failed to electorate upon.
“But it is important to state that contrary to the views of Agbakoba, the Supreme Court at no time delivered any judgement which forbids the EFCC from investigating fraud cases involving a state government.”
EFCC added “when men who are seen as the conscience of the nation begin to approbate and reprobate on an issue, it is almost certain they are driven by motives which could be far from altruistic.
“The manner in which Agbakoba delivered his message in the so-called media briefing, he sounded more like a spokesperson of the Kogi State Government than an advocate of the rule of law.
“By his demeanor, any citizen who thought the briefing was only a smokescreen to vilify the EFCC at the pleasure of the Kogi State Government, would be forgiven.
“But Agbakoba is not counsel to the Kogi State government, at least not publicly. But even Kogi state lawyers whom he offered his free counsel on how to handle the EFCC at the briefing would not have put up a better performance.
“Despite not being counsel to the Kogi State Government, Agbakoba had no scruples using the media to pontificate on a matter that is currently before a court of competent justification. This, to him, does not amount to a media trial of the EFCC!
“In his game of ostrich, Agbakoba continually harped on Section 46 of the EFCC Act but ignores the provisions of Section 7 of the same Act and various provisions of the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act, the Advance Fee Fraud Other Fraud Related Offences Act, etc which gives the Commission power to investigate all fraud cases.”
