The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, Thursday, insisted that no amount of litigation would stop the Federal Government from prosecuting any person or oil marketer found to have defrauded Nigerians during the subsidy regime.
The AGF who made the declaration while refuting allegation that he said “indicted fuel marketers won’t be prosecuted”, said the reason why none of the purported oil thieves fingered by the Farouk Lawal led House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee have been charged to court was due to the strong adherence of president Goodluck Jonathan to the principle of the rule of law.
Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) at the Federal Executive Council Meeting in Abuja on Wednesday (13/6/12).NAN Photo
Addressing a press conference at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, Adoke who spoke through his counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, said the court order that on Wednesday restrained the Federal Government from acting on the House of Reps subsidy probe report, was only in relation to one of the accused oil companies, Integrated Oil and Gas Limited.
Stressing that “the report of the Farouk Lawal led panel is not useless”, the AGF, said president Jonathan has since forwarded copies of the report to both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, for further scrutiny.
He maintained that the House of Reps lacked the powers to indict anyone in Nigeria of any crime, saying such function is the exclusive preserve of the Police, EFCC or ICPC.
Vanguard