The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the Office of the Inspector General of the Global Fund to facilitate exchange of information on fraud and abuse of office in relation to grant programs managed by the Global Fund targeted at fighting Tuberculosis and Malaria in Nigeria.
Under the MoU which was signed on behalf of the Fund and the Commission by the duo of Norbert Hauser, head of the office of the Inspector General, Global Fund and Ibrahim Lamorde, Chairman, EFCC, respectively, both parties will cooperate by providing information and intelligence to each other, which may help in the investigation and prosecution of anyone suspected of engaging in fraud and abuse of Global Fund grant funds and related criminal activity.
Terms of the agreement stipulates that both parties will consult regularly, in particular to exchange information regarding new areas of potential cooperation and other joint activities falling within their respective mandates. All information exchanged will be treated as strictly confidential.
The Memorandum stipulates that any information exchanged will not be used as evidence in any judicial proceedings without the express prior consent of the party providing that information.
In addition to exchanging financial and criminal intelligence, both parties may cooperate in other ways, including the exchange of general information regarding fraud, abuse and other economic crimes.
Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, who said the Commission is not just helping the Global Fund in signing the MoU, said “What we are doing is helping ourselves. It is our moral obligation to give you our support and cooperation.”
On his part, Hauser said that the signing of the Memorandum with Nigeria, a country where Global Fund grants are being distributed on a large scale, is sequel to similar agreements with Malawi and Tanzania. “This is also an expression of country ownership in its most positive form”, he explained.
