Human and Environmental Development Agenda, Corner House, and RE: COMMON have all called on President Muhammadu Buhari to establish an investigative board to look into alleged fraud at the Federal Ministry of Justice, which is being overseen by a syndicate.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), according to the groups, should be investigated for his role in the Paris Club contract scam involving state and local governments in the country.
To avoid influencing the probe, the groups suggested that the chairman of the investigative committee be a higher-ranking official than Malami.
The groups accused the AGF of selling national assets and diverting the proceeds into his personal purse in a statement signed by Olanrewaju Suraju, co-founder of Corner House, Nick Hildyard, and Programme Director of RE: COMMON, Antonio Tricarico, and made available to SaharaReporters on Thursday.
"The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Corner House, and RE: COMMON have written to President Muhammadu Buhari, requesting an independent investigation into the alleged fraud syndicate within the Federal Ministry of Justice and condemning the role of Minister in the Paris Club contract scam against States and Local Governments," according to the statement.
The statement also stated that "a thoroughgoing, independent investigation into the alleged fraud should be set up" in order to ensure confidence in the investigation's outcome, and that "it is unwise for one to investigate oneself."
"The planned internal Ministry of Justice probe is totally inadequate and will do little to allay the worries of the national and international anti-corruption communities," it continued.
"Regardless of the five-member review panel's qualifications and track record, few can have faith in a process that effectively allows the Ministry of Justice to'mark its own homework.'"
The groups reminded Buhari of their earlier letter on the subject, stating that all allegations of mismanagement, corruption, and fraud that have been levelled against the Federal Ministry of Justice and its Minister must not be treated lightly.
"We have already written to convey our concerns regarding alleged corruption inside the Ministry of Justice, as well as Attorney General Mr Abubakar Malami's mismanagement," the statement said.
"We are therefore unsurprised, though shocked, to learn that aides to the Attorney General, including his deputy director, have allegedly been selling off forfeited and recovered assets belonging to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and pocketing the proceeds in the press."
Former members of the now-defunct Ad Hoc Committee on the Sale of Non-essential FG Residential Houses in Abuja were also alleged to be involved, according to the reports.
According to the groups, if Malami claims he is unaware of the corruption under his ministry, he is either incompetent or complicit in it, based on his remarks earlier this year.
"It is claimed that the Attorney General was uninformed of the alleged wrongdoing. If that's the case, his leadership of the Ministry is called into doubt much more. "
It's mind-boggling that he could have sold hundreds of houses without realising the cash had gone missing," the groups stated.
"Either the AGF has turned a Nelsonian blind eye to the black hole that would have been obvious in the accounts, or he was incompetent, or he was complicit," they wrote. They confirmed that AGF's failure to act when the controversy first surfaced added fuel to the fire.
They pointed out that while elements of the alleged scam were exposed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over two months ago, Mr Malami did not respond until the press reported the full extent of the alleged wrongdoing.
"As the saying goes, 'Justice must not only be done but also seen to be done,' and in this case, both justice and good governance demand the formation of an independent committee under the supervision of a senior officer of the Federal Republic.
"We note that when Ibrahim Magu, the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was investigated, he was suspended from his position pending the outcome of an independent panel set up under your auspices," the statement continued.
The groups also demanded that the newly formed committee report to Buhari and his Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, so that the findings do not go unnoticed.
"We see no reason why the same mechanism should not be used to investigate the charges against the Ministry of Justice, with the panel reporting to you or His Excellency the Vice President.
" We are aware of additional allegations that have recently surfaced regarding $418 million in planned payments to consultants that would be deducted from funds owed to state governments as a result of Paris Club refunds.
"As a result, we would like to see these claims included in the investigation's terms of reference." "We are aware that Mr Malami has been accused of corruption in a Petition, which is attached and addressed to your office on July 20, 2020," the statement continued.