Nigeria's VIP Thieves Now Have Something to Worry About

The Federal Government will soon submit an anti-graft bill that rules out the option of fine for people convicted of corruption to the National Assembly, SUNDAY PUNCH authoritatively reports.

The bill, which is aimed at ensuring that only proportionate punishments are meted out to very important persons convicted of corruption, will be sent to the National Assembly before the end of the first quarter of the year.

A reliable source in government told SUNDAY PUNCH over the weekend that the initiative was spurred by the light sentence given to an assistant director of the Police Pension Office found guilty of by an Abuja Federal High Court.

The court, on Monday, had sentenced John Yakubu Yusuf to a two-year jail term or a fine of N750,000 for his involvement in fraud totalling N27.2bn. He was, however, given an option of fine in the sum of N750,000 for the three offences he pleaded guilty to.

Justice Abubakar Talba had also ordered that the accused person should forfeit 32 houses in the Federal Capital Territory and Gombe as well as N325m which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said were proceeds from the crime.

Investigations by our correspondents on Friday showed that the presidency was concerned by Talba’s verdict and its impact on the image of the country.

Source: PUNCH


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