FG sends anti-graft court bill to N’Assembly

The Attorney-General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN)

Indication emerged on Tuesday that the Federal
Government had sent to the National Assembly, a
bill seeking the establishment of a special anti-
corruption court to try serious crimes, including
corruption cases.
The Special Crimes Bill 2016 was drafted by the
Prof. Itse Sagay-led Presidential Advisory
Committee Against Corruption.
The proposed court will exclusively handle
corruption cases and other cases including
narcotic, human trafficking, kidnapping,
cybercrime, money laundering and other related
offences.
The offences under the existing legal framework
are still being prosecuted by the some law
enforcement agencies, including the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission and the
Independent Corrupt Practices and other related
offences Commission before the Federal High
Courts and State High Courts.
The intention of the bill is to ensure speedy trials
of the offences – as indicated in its title which
reads – “An Act to provide for the establishment
of a Special Crimes Court as a superior court of
record to allow for speedy trials of certain
offences, including economic and financial crimes,
terrorism, money laundering and corruption
offences and for related matters”.
PACAC had earlier sent the proposed bill to the
AGF for onward transmission to the National
Assembly as an executive bill.
When contacted on Tuesday, Chairman of PACAC,
Sagay, confirmed that the bill had been sent to
the National Assembly.
“As far as I know, the bill has been sent to the
National Assembly,” Sagay said.
He confirmed that the bill was sent to the
legislature by the AGF’s office.
The bill proposed in section 7(1) of the bill that it
“shall have and exercise exclusive jurisdiction and
power in respect of offences specified in Schedule
1 to this Act to be known as ‘scheduled
offences’”.
The “scheduled offences” stated in Schedule 1 of
the bill are “Terrorism offences under the
Terrorism (Prevention) Act (No. 10 of 2011) as
amended;
“Economic and financial crimes under the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(Establishment) Act (E1 LFN 2004);
“Money laundering offences under the Money
Laundering (Prohibition) Act (No 11 of 2011) as
amended;
“Narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances
offences under the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency Act (N30 LFN 2004);