The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has invoked the Freedom of Information Act, asking the Solicitor General of the Federation to provide information to the public on about 23 high profile cases of corruption transferred by the disbanded Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SIPRPP).
The cases were said to have been transferred in August last year through a presidential directive to the office of the Solicitor General of the Federation and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice.
This came after the suspension of Chairman of the panel, Okoi Obono Obla.
HEDA in a petition signed by its Chairman, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, addressed to the Solicitor General, Mr. Tayo Apata (SAN), said while the cases have been transferred, the public has been kept in the dark over their status.
In the request, HEDA gave a seven-day notice to the Solicitor General to provide the information in accordance with the provision of the FOI Act.
Suraju said: “Since the transfer of these high profile cases, nothing appears to have been done. HEDA has been watching with keen interests. Nigerians have been waiting since the transfer of the cases but nothing has been done. It is important to know what has happened to these crucial cases.”
HEDA said it is in possession of a letter dated August 29 2019 from the SIPRPP to the Solicitor General of the Federation with reference number, SGF/PS/SPIP1733, titled, “RE: REPORT ON ALL PROSECUTION AND COURT PROCESSES”.
The group said the letter details a response from the disbanded panel to a letter from the Solicitor General of the Federation dated the August 15.
It said the enclosure details the lists of the cases that were under investigation and prosecution by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.
HEDA noted that the said transfer by the panel was effected sometime in August 2019 but that five months after the transfer of the cases to the office of the Solicitor General of the Federation, the public has been left in the dark on the progress report of the cases suggesting some of the cases are being swept under the carpet.
“And in the bid to strengthening the course of accountability and transparency in the civil service, we strongly believe this information will aid our public inclusiveness in the fight of corruption by the Government,” the organization said.
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