Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice asking him to “use your good offices as a defender of public interest, and exercise your powers under Section 174(1) of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999, and sections 104–106 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act to re-open the unresolved case of missing $12.4 billion oil windfall.”
The organization asked Mr Malami to “establish the truth about what exactly happened to the public funds reportedly spent between 1988 and 1993 by the government of former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.”
The letter dated 19 August 2016 and signed by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni urged Mr Malami to “work diligently and effectively to find and publish widely the Pius Okigbo panel report, as well as bring to justice anyone suspected of corruption and mismanagement of the colossal public funds.”
The letter reads in part: “SERAP has for many years sought explanations and official release of the Okigbo panel report, which the government voluntarily established but successive governments have blocked every chance to make this happen, even claiming that the report of the panel could not be found. SERAP’s request is entirely consistent with established legal principle that in matters relating to crimes including corruption, time does not run against the state.”
“Reopening the case would also send a clear message that cases of high-level official corruption would not go unpunished no matter how long it takes and that suspected perpetrators would be held to account no matter who is involved.”
“SERAP also believes that re-opening the unresolved case of missing $12.4 billion oil windfall would serve as a litmus test for the government of President Muhammadu Buhari oft-repeated commitments to transparency, accountability …Read More
Source:: PM Newspaper
