Judges, lawyers hindering corruption trial, assets recovery – Buhari

President Mohammadu Buhari on Monday said there was an urgent need for reform in the judiciary which allowed delay tactics by lawyers aided by some judges to stall corruption trial and hinder recovery of proceeds of crime in high profile corruption cases.

Buhari who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during the opening session of the year’s All Nigeria Judges’ Conference in Abuja regretted that Nigeria was fast losing trust and esteem of the judiciary.

The conference which is to end on Friday was organised the National Judicial Institute.

The President noted that the current challenges of corruption and delay tactics employed by lawyers with the collusion of some judges ended up preventing a verdict to be reached on the guilt or innocence of the accused person.
He said, “Government’s attempt to recover such assets in accordance with the law, are often faced with dilatory tactics by lawyers, sometimes with the apparent collusion of judges.
“These tactics are often not directed at reaching any conclusion or affirming innocence or guilt, but at stalling trials indefinitely, thus denying the state and the accused person the opportunity of a judicial verdict.
“I wish to echo the sentiments of the vast majority of Nigerians in saying that we cannot afford to continue like this.”

The President, who called for the eradication of the practice of appealing interlocutory decisions, also suggested a reduction in the workload of the Supreme Court as a way of curbing delay.

Source: Punch