- from Oluwole Josiah -
NEW Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, told the Senate on Wednesday that there were corrupt officials in the anti-graft agency.
Lamorde, while appearing before the Senate’s committee of the Whole House to defend his appointment by President Goodluck Jonathan, said the commission’s operatives were indeed involved in corrupt practices in their handling of corruption cases.
He said, “There is this perception that there is corruption in the agency, I want to tell you that to some extent that is correct. Since I assumed office as the Acting Chairman, I have been trying to address some of the issues.
“As I speak to you, we have three of our personnel that are in detention for acts that are unacceptable by the standards of our anti corruption agency. We have also initiated prosecution against two other officers. The cases are in court.”
Lamorde’s appointment was confirmed by the Senate. He has been heading the anti-corruption commission since his predecessor, Mrs. Farida Waziri, was sacked last November.
” We have asked him very deep questions and from the answers we got from him, we want to give him the benefit of doubt that he will perform and that the EFCC will do precisely what the Act has tasked them to do. At the end of the day, the country will be better off,” President of the Senate, David Mark, said in his remarks while confirming the appointment of the EFCC boss.
Jonathan: there are terrorist in my government (sunday January 8, 2012) IGP Abubakar: there are armed robbers in the police (february 14, 2012) EFCC Chairman Lamorde: there are corrupt officers in the EFCC (Wednesday, February 13, 2012)