At a time when a number of principal officers in the Senate, and other Senators are under suspicion of corruption, and are being prosecuted by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has proven that he is not corrupt.
This came with Tuesday’s speedy passage of one of the anti-corruption bills called, ‘Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, between Nigeria and other Foreign States’.
While Presiding, Saraki who many thought was suppressing the passage of the bill, because of allegation of corruption levied against him, said the passage of the bill will restore the confidence of foreign investors in doing business in Nigeria.
Post-Nigeria recalled, that the bill signed into law, will facilitate the identification, tracing, freezing, restraining, recovery, forfeiture, and confiscation of proceeds, property and other instrumentality of crimes.
The Executive bill would provide a legal framework that will strengthen the fight against corruption, terrorism, economic and financial crimes, money laundering, and other related offences.
The Senate passed the bill, following the adoption of the report of its Joint Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, and Foreign Affairs.
The bill is also expected to effect the temporary transfer of persons in custody, to assist in investigations, or appear as witness, facilitate obtaining and preserving of computer data, and providing any other assistance that is not contrary to the law of the requesting State.
Presenting the lead debate, the Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Senator David Umaru, said the enactment of the law, is paramount to the anti-corruption drive of the government, as it seeks to eliminate territorial jurisdictional constraints in the prosecution of cross-border crimes.
“The globalisation and advancement in information and communication technology, have made it imperative for a legislation of this nature to be put in place, in order to promote cooperation for the prosecution of cross border offenders and transnational organised crimes”, he said.
Umaru further explained that the scope of the bill has been widened from the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters in the Commonwealth (Enactment and Enforcement) Act 2004, to assume international dimensions in participation and laundering of the proceeds of crime.
However, he added that, the Joint Committee rejected clauses that could give rise to torture (coercive investigative measures). as it is unconstitutional.
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