Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh has said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under the leadership of Ola Olukoyede is set to depart from the ugly past.
According to him, the plan by the new EFCC chairman to align the agency’s operations with the rule of law concerning rights of suspects is the best approach to the war against corruption in the country.
In a statement he issued on Sunday, the former opposition spokesman who endured a torrid time in the hands of the anti-graft body on corruption charges that were later dismissed by the court described the declaration as a step in the right direction.
He commended the President Bola Tinubu-led administration for its move to restore rule of law and democratic tenets into law enforcement, adding that Nigerians expect that the declaration marks EFCC’s departure from the past especially when “it strayed to become a tool for harassment and political persecution” instead of focusing only on the fight against economic and financial crimes in the country.
The former opposition spokesman lamented that many innocent Nigerians, including himself were subjected to horrible and dehumanising persecution, blackmail and media trial by the former EFCC leadership in violation of the rule of law and best practices in the course of investigation, arrest, detention and prosecution over trumped-up charges by the immediate past administration.
The statement reads: “Nigerians have noted with commendation, the official statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s new Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, to align its operations with the Rule of Law and International best practice with respect to rights of suspects, especially where arrest, detention and bail issues are concerned. “This declaration is a step in the right direction.
“It has indeed raised confidence that the EFCC under a new leadership is set to depart from the ugly past especially when it strayed to become a tool for harassment and political persecution.
“Men like us never had the opportunity of such professional best practices under the old EFCC. I recall the vicious political persecution, harassment, gruesome media trial, blackmails, seizure of my means of livelihood and traumatic life-threatening health challenges that I was subjected to by the EFCC, under the immediate past administration, apparently in a bid to silence me as opposition spokesperson.
“I recall how I was arrested by the EFCC, just some few days after I received a terse warning from a former APC Chairman that my criticisms would no longer be condoned. Not only was I denied bail, I was kept in custody for almost two weeks while the EFCC was searching for charges and non-existent evidence before I was taken to court.
“Most instructively, when I was taken to court my bail was manipulated in a manner that it was impossible to meet. I was still in prison custody when the prosecution presented all its witnesses and concluded its case. I had no opportunity to adequately brief my lawyers. I was denied access to my documents that would help me prepare for my defence as guaranteed under Section 36(6)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“I met with my lawyers only once in prison and without effective communication to prepare for cross-examination of prosecution witnesses.
“In the course of my arrest, detention and trial, the then EFCC management engaged in the most vicious media trial including publishing of outright falsehood and distortion of proceedings in court, all to discredit me in the public and set the stage to justify a negative outcome against me in the case.
“Such disposition to use the EFCC as a tool for political persecution and harassment of dissenting voices not only distracted and debilitated the agency from effectively discharging its statutory duties to fight economic and financial crimes in the country but also politicized, commercialised and corrupted the agency under the immediate past administration.
“It is against this backdrop that the declaration by the new EFCC leadership comes as a light at the end of a dark tunnel in the fight against economic and financial crimes in our country. A professionally inclined EFCC will be very effective in its duty and not yield itself to harassing innocent Nigerians, destroying private businesses as well as the nation’s economy in the process.”
Metuh said that he has forgiven “the old EFCC and all those who conspired to make sure they stalled the rebuilding of the PDP then,” urging the new chairman to put measures to check overzealous conduct by operatives.
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