TheCable

Femi Falana, senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has asked the Department of State Service to stay away from the investigation of federal lawmakers involved in the alleged padding of the 2016 budget.

After his removal as chairman of appropriations committee, Abdulmunin Jibrin had accused Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the house of representatives; Yusuf Lasun, deputy speaker; Alhassan Ado Doguwa, house whip; and Leo Ogor, house minority leader, of padding the 2016 budget with N40 billion.

Following accusations and counter-accusations, the DSS was last week, reported to have sealed off Jibrin’s office in a bid to investigate his allegations.

Reacting in a statement released on Sunday, Falana said the alleged budget padding was an “economic crime which is not concerned with the internal security of the nation”, hence the DSS has no role to play in the matter.

“It was reported last week that the Nigeria Police Force had commenced investigations into the criminal allegation of the padding of the national budget by some members of the House of Representatives.

“Some civil society organisations have also requested the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission to wade into the matter. Curiously, the State Security Service (Department of State Service) is alleged to have usurped the statutory duties of the police and the anti graft agencies by taking over the investigation of the padding of the budget.

“Based on the illegal decision to take over the investigation the DSS is reported to have sealed off the office of the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives.

“Having regard to the recent activities of the SSS and the clear provisions of the relevant laws on investigation of corruption and other economic and financial crimes the DSS lacks the moral right and legal powers to interfere in the investigation of the criminal allegation of padding of the budget in any manner whatsoever.”

“More importantly, by virtue of the provisions of the National Security Agencies Act the powers of the SSS are strictly limited to the ‘preservation and detection within Nigeria of any crime against the internal security of Nigeria.’

“Since the padding of the national budget is a straight forward case of economic crime which is not concerned with the internal security of the nation the SSS should not play into the soiled hands of the criminal suspects in the House of Representatives as they may later turn round to challenge the legal validity of any criminal charge arising from a faulty investigation report.

“The SSS should be called to order as the nation cannot afford to bungle the investigation of the highly placed politically exposed persons involved in the padding of the budget.

“In the light of the foregoing, the Police and the anti graft agencies should be allowed to get to the root of the criminality of budget padding in the National Assembly.”