BPE probe report: EFCC urged to prosecute suspects

Socio-EconomicRights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has welcomed the Senate's report on activities of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) since 1999 to date, and called on 'the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to proactively retrieve the report from the Senate and ensure the full and effective prosecution of suspects who have perpetrated widespread corruption in the BPE.'The organisation, in a public statement dated 22 December 2011 and signed by its executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said that, 'We welcome the BPE report, and laud the Senate for showing strong political will to conclude the investigation, adopt and publish the report.'The organisation also said that, 'now it is time for both the EFCC and the Senate to work closely together to ensure that those suspected to be involved in corruption in the BPE are swiftly brought to justice and all proceeds of corruption recovered and returned back to the treasury.''The BPE report clearly shows a serious breach of anti-corruption legislation and Nigeria's international obligations, including the UN Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, both of which the country has ratified,' the organisation also said.According to the organisation: 'The government of President Goodluck Jonathan must back the full and effective implementation of the report. This will show that the government is willing and able to fight impunity of perpetrators of corruption, which is responsible for legacy of official corruption in the country.
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