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Ten civil society
organisations yesterday called for the prosecution of the Attorney
General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke
over alleged lack of commitment to the anti-corruption war.

Executive director
of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Awal Musa Rafasarjani,
who addressed a press conference in Abuja, said Mr Adoke has
demonstrated “a total lack of commitment to the anti-corruption war.”
Among other charges, Mr Rafasarjani said within ten months of being in
office, the AGF has withdrawn a record 25 cases against corrupt persons
with high political profiles.

He said: “Adoke has
flagrantly violated sections 15(5) and 174 (3) of the 1999 Constitution
when he set out to withdraw several cases on economic crimes against
the public interest. We note in particular the case of the Vaswani
Brothers whom EFCC was bent on prosecuting for multi-billion naira tax
evasion and forgery; his morbid deal with former Governor of Bauchi
State, Adamu Muazu to stop his prosecution; withdrawal of charges and
return of recovered stolen funds to former National Electricity
Regulatory Commissioners; assurances of safe landing for Dele Oye and
Erastus Akingbola’s return from criminally self-imposed exile; the
trial of Kenny Martins handled by Festus Keyamo, for embezzling Police
Equipment Funds was profanely halted by the AGF; so also was the trial
of Julius Berge Nigeria Ltd, Siemens Plc., Saipem, Technip and
Halliburton Inc.”

Call for public hearing

The Federal
Government recently withdrew all charges against construction giant,
Julius Berger in the Halliburton bribery scandal. This comes less than
a month after a Federal High Court judge, Donatus Okorowo, disqualified
himself from hearing the $180 million Halliburton scam.

Mr Rafasanjani also
said that in February 2010, the Nigerian Bar Association had raised
alarm over attempts by the Federal Government to sweep the Halliburton
scam under the carpet.

“A year after the
clarion call, it is distressful to see Bello Adoke, the Attorney
General of the Federation and Justice Minister following the line of
his predecessor-in-office Michael Aondoakaa who was unwilling to
prosecute public officials involved and was shown the way out in
circumstances that are dishonourable and disgraceful,” he said. “We
call on the Senate and House of Representatives to immediately set up a
public Hearing and inquiry into Halliburton funds scam in order to stop
the AGF and other collaborators from further scandalizing our dear
country by his various acts of infamy.” The activists also called on
President Goodluck Jonathan to dissociate himself from the
“pro-corruption stance of Mr Adoke.”