Buhari Gets Tough; Sends Fresh Anti-Corruption Bill to Senate

In its bid to crush corruption in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a letter to the Senate asking for the amendment of two bills that will further advance his fight against corruption. 

The bills are the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Bill 2016 and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill 2016. ‎

The Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Bill 2016, if passed into law, would expand the scope of money laundering offenses, provide protection for employees of various institutions as well as bodies who may discover money laundering.

It will also establish mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. 

The bill if passed into law will also enhance customer due diligence, provide appropriate penalties and expand the scope of supervisory bodies, while recognizing the role of certain self-regulatory organisations to address the challenges faced in implementation of comprehensive anti-money regime.

The second bill, Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill 2016, seeks to facilitate the assistance of other countries whenever a criminal offence is committed outside Nigeria. Such assistance will include the provision and obtaining of evidence.‎ The Bill also seeks the making of arrangements for persons to give evidence or assist in criminal investigations; recovery, forfeiture or confiscation of property in respect of offences; the restraining of dealings in property or the freezing of assets that may be recovered. It also seeks the forfeiting, or confiscation in respect of offences, the execution of request for search and seizure, the location and identification of witnesses and suspects, the service of documents and other matters connected with it.

The letter reads in part “Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Bill 2016: This bill provides for the repeal of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011, as amended in 2012, to make comprehensive provisions to prohibit the laundering of the criminal activities, expand the scope of money laundering offences, provide protection for employees of various institutions, bodies and professions who may discover money laundering, enhance customer due diligence, provide appropriate penalties and expand the scope of supervisory bodies, while recognising the role of certain self-regulatory organisations to address the challenges faced in implementation of comprehensive anti-money regime. 

The Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill 2016.
This bill seeks to facilitate the provision and obtaining by Nigeria of international assistance in criminal matters, including the provision and obtaining of evidence, the making of arrangements for persons to give evidence or assist in criminal investigations, recovery, forfeiture or confiscation of property in respect of offences; the restraining of dealings in property or the freezing of assets that may be recovered, forfeited or confiscated in respect of offences; the execution of request for search and seizure, the location and identification of witnesses and suspects, the service of documents and other matters connected herewith.

- Hard times ahead for all looters.