The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to increase the number of former governors in court over corruption charges to thirteen, as investigators, last week, forwarded the case files of two former governors to the chairman, Mrs Farida Waziri, for prosecution. This is coming on the heels of the institution of a new investigation procedure and movement of case files by the EFCC chairman.
The EFCC boss, last week, before the Senate Committee on Drugs and Financial Crimes, had repudiated the claim in some quarters that the case files of 31 former governors were ready for prosecution, causing ripples in the polity.
She explained that she inherited eight case files of former governors and added three of her own, bringing the number currently in court to 11.
But sources confided in Sunday Vanguard, weekend, that, in the midst of the controversy, Waziri had, infact, received the case files of two former governors, one from the south and the other from the east, confirmed by the anti-graft legal department to have sufficient grounds for their prosecution.
The source hinted: “We are on the verge of vacating the injunction that would have prevented us from arresting one of them and we are working with the Interpol to track the other who has since left the country. We know he has just returned to Europe from the Middle East.”
Meanwhile, a new code of investigation and movement of case file officially took effect, last week, with investigators now required to work as a team during the processes of investigating cases.
Sunday Vanguard learnt that recent discovery of missing case files in the homes of one of its operatives during a search informed the new procedure, to ensure the integrity of the processes of investigation and prosecution.
The new procedure was unveiled to staff of the anti-graft body during the just concluded management retreat in Lagos.
A source told Sunday Vanguard:“ When she came in as chairman, Mrs Waziri was disturbed by the manner investigations were conducted, resulting in a situation in which one officer assumes the role of the case officer, most times interrogates the suspect alone, deals with the files, leaving other investigators on the case in the dark.
“In fact, as events later turned out, these case officers often times misled other investigators in the team about the case, and even went as far as writing investigation reports alone, while others would just append their signature”.
But, to counter this development, as gathered, the new investigation procedure now demands that no member of an investigation team must see a suspect alone. “All team members are required to interrogate suspects together, write the report in the presence of every body, without exception”, the source said. The new procedure now in place, according to the source, has restricted the movement of case files, requiring that all case files be kept in a central registry, the movement of which must be restricted to the EFCC premises.
“ All investigators are henceforth required to formally apply to the central case file registry before accessing any file. Under no circumstances must any investigator take a case file home, other than places covered by the application for the movement of the case file out of the central registry”, he added.