The fight against corruption can never succeed when the claws of law are deployed in a discriminatory manner or used to score cheap political gains
The Civil Society Network Against Corruption has written to President Muhammadu Buhari, asking him to immediately order the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to release the corruption file of ex-senator, Dino Melaye.
The group also threatened legal action against Malami if he continues to hold on to the case file of Melaye, an act said to be shielding the former senator, who represented Kogi West, against justice.
SaharaReporters had in December 2015 published how Melaye had since 2010 illegally operated bank accounts in the United States of America.
After the revelation, CSNAC, a coalition of over 150 anti-corruption organisations whose primary aim is to constructively combat corruption vigorously, wrote the Code of Conduct Bureau to investigate Melaye.
Malami, however, went secretly to obtain the case file from the bureau and had since squashed the investigation of Melaye.
After so many inquiries, the CCB finally revealed that Malami had taken over the case file of Melaye.
Following silence by the minister, CSNAC invoked the Freedom of Information Act, urging Buhari to direct Malaimi to release the case file in the next seven days.
“As President of the country, you have the responsibility to ensure equity in the campaign against corruption.
“The fight against corruption can never succeed when the claws of law are deployed in a discriminatory manner or used to score cheap political gains,” the CSNAC stated in the petition signed by the group's Legal Officer, Rebecca David.
CSNAC also threatened legal action against Malami for obstructing the cause of justice in the matter.
“Series of requests have been submitted to your office to release the file on Senator Melaye. There are serious cases of corruption levelled against him.
“The cases were to be prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“It’s unfortunate that you ordered the transfer of the file leaving Senator Melaye with the prospect of escaping justice in the face of the weighty allegations
against him.
“There are speculations that Senator Melaye is your bossom friend and that the transfer of the file on corruption cases against him was designed to give him a soft landing.
“You have to prove these allegations false by releasing the file without further delay,” CSNAC stated.