Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede has charged defence counsels in the commission’s cases to be guided by the ethics of their profession while discharging their duties to their clients.
Olukoyede gave the charge through the Ibadan Zonal Director of the EFCC, Assistant Commander Hauwa Garba Ringim when the executive committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA) Ibadan branch, led by its chairman, Ibrahim Lawal paid her a courtesy visit on Monday.
“It is disheartening how a reasonable number of lawyers come into EFCC premises and begin to display unprofessionalism; trying to interfere in investigation activities and pushing to get things done their own way, outside the standard operating procedure of the EFCC.
“Why would a lawyer walk into the EFCC office to see his client and tell the investigating officer that he or she ought to have concluded investigation on his or her client, and that if the officer does not conclude investigation within his stipulated time, he will frustrate the efforts of the investigating officer? This is appalling,” he said.
While emphasising the need for consistent stakeholders’ engagement between the Bar and EFCC towards effective service delivery, Olukoyede frowned at the situation where lawyers now roam EFCC premises, “hunting for clients without considering the decency of their profession.”
The EFCC boss, however, assured lawyers in the country of the Commission’s collaboration, noting that it was critical in the law enforcement activities of the commission.
Responding, Lawal thanked Ringim for the warm reception accorded the delegation, stressing that for greater successes to be achieved in the fight against corruption, there must be an effective collaboration between the EFCC and the Bar.
The Ibadan NBA chair who condemned touting by lawyers also disclosed that his branch had set up an “anti-touting committee,” saddled with the responsibility of investigating and sanctioning lawyers who deviated from professional ethics.
While taking side with the commission on not permitting lawyers to stand as sureties in any EFCC’s case, the Ibadan NBA chairman maintained that doing so was “reprehensible and unacceptable to the Bar.”
He, however, requested for official and effective line of communication between the EFCC and the Bar for adequate sharing of information and for addressing enquiries by lawyers.
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