The Chairman Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property,SPIP, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla has said that the Panel is studying the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, which ruled that the Panel does not have the powers to prosecute or seize assets of persons perceived to have fraudulently enriched themselves at the expense of the Nigerian people, after which the Panel may take necessary legal steps to appeal the judgment.
Head, Media and Communications, SPIP, Lucie-Ann Laha, in a press release emailed to Newsdiaryonline debunked a report that Obono-Oblahad described the judgment as political.
The press release said “Chief Obono-Obla who was quoted out of context by an online publication, Metrolawyer, to have said that the judgment was political as the Panel was not given fair hearing, said the Panel is rather happy with the court’s ruling in part, which affirms the Panel’s powers to investigate the assets of those who have corruptly enriched themselves, thus contributing to the economic adversity of Nigeria, as well as those who violate the Code of Conduct provisions of the 1999 Constitution.”
Furthermore, the SPIP spokesperson said “Notwithstanding the judgment, the Executive Order No. 6 of 2018 vests upon the Panel as an anti-corruption agency, the powers to seize on the interim, assets and property of persons under investigation by the Panel.”
The Special Presidential Panel for the Recovery of Public Property was established in August 2017 pursuant to the Recovery of Public Property Act of 2004 with a clear mandate to among other things, investigate and recover public assets misappropriated by fraudulent individuals.
The Panel’s personnel are drawn from the law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies, including officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force who are statutorily vested with the power to arrest when and where necessary.
