Professor Nwoke Friday Chijioke, former Vice President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, has condemned the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over the press conference he conducted in relation to conversations around former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
While speaking on Channels TV on Thursday, Chijioke criticized the EFCC’s approach, denouncing it as an unfair trial and labelling it as a form of media trial.
He noted the importance of discretion in such matters, pointing out that institutions of justice, like the EFCC, should conduct investigations discreetly without involving the media.
Nwoke said, ”The EFCC chairman’s press conference of yesterday was really uncalled for. That is an unfair trial. All these challenges are because of what I would call a media trial.
”An institution of justice should be in a position, especially when you are the investigator, to carry out a discrete investigation. You do not need to involve the media.
”For example, the EFCC’s chairman interview yesterday was really, really uncalled for. It was uncalled for in the sense that you do not need to accord any privilege to Yahaya Bello.
”The law doesn’t require the giving of privileges to persons who are suspected of having committed an offense. That is one.
”Secondly, the law is necessary, especially in situations of this nature. In corruption cases, you don’t necessarily need to make an arrest. You don’t need to be brought into custody. Because more often than not, in corruption cases, they’re determined by documentary evidence.
”If you make out a prima facie case and you have evidence to make out a prima facie case, why don’t you file a case in court and serve the accused person? Why would you, in the first instance, perhaps advertise or publicize? Because that is, in the first instance, unfair hearing,” he added.
