Juliana Francis
The Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Monday 29th April explained that it uses plea bargaining in resolving most of their corruption cases because they were determined to make those involved in corrupt practices poor again.
The Commission’s Spokesperson, Mr Demola Bakare, stated this during a media briefing with some select journalists in Ikeja, Lagos State.
The explanation came on the heels of a good number of Nigerians, speaking against the deployment of plea bargains in resolving cases where whooping sums of money were stolen. Nigerians have often seen it as a slap on the wrist for convicted embezzlers of the nation’s wealth.
Addressing journalists, Bakare said: “ There’s nothing we do in ICPC that doesn’t have a reason and we must have brainstormed on it. Our philosophy concerning plea bargain is to make the thieves poor again!”
Bakare said he took time to explain the issue because he wanted the journalists to report on ICPC from a place of deep understanding and knowledge.
He also used the opportunity to explain why there are not many court convictions in ICPC, stressing that they were facing powerful and influential Nigerians, who are always pulling strings from behind for someone arrested for corrupt practices.
His words: “It’s not easy! Corruption is not just behavioural, but also a socioeconomic problem. The first challenge begins when someone is appointed to a position in civil service. Immediately he is appointed, demands and pressure mount and come from family members and friends. The person also faces another challenge in his place of work, where some people want him to be corrupt and so they blackmail him, to make him dance to their tune
“There’s also the problem with the culture of giving ‘returns’ in the system. Someone made sure that this person was appointed to that position, the person who facilitated the appointment will want to be collecting ‘returns’ from the aforementioned civil servant.
“When the civil servant is arrested for corrupt practices, the person, who facilitated his employment is naturally an influential Nigeria, he would pull all strings to ensure that justice will not be done.”
Bakare said that it was because of such snags and cases dragging in court due to such influential personalities, that ICPC resolved to go the way of plea bargains, therefore targeting recovery of assets first, “Before waiting for prosecutions.”
The image manager said that he was going to work with the media, to ensure Nigerians get a picture of what ICPC is doing and the types of projects it was tracking.
He stated that he would not hound information and would be honest with whatever information he gave out, as long as it was not prejudicial.
“ICPC is committed to erring on the side of the law. We should look at ways of writing to show what was stolen, what the stolen money can be used to achieve, what the money can do,” said Bakare.
