Work With Law Enforcement Agencies To Fight Terrorism Financing, ICPC Boss Tells Lawyers At NBA Conference

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, has called on lawyers and members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to put heads together with law enforcement agencies to curb money laundering and terrorism financing.

Owasanoye who was part of a panel of discussion on ethics and professional conduct of lawyers, made this call at the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

The conference was held at the Velodrome of the National Stadium in Abuja.

The session focused on the new NBA rules and guidelines on Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing, as well as underlining the role of the legal profession in the fight against the vices.

The ICPC boss noted that it was inevitable that discussions on ethical conduct of legal practitioners be brought to the table.

According to him, this is due to the perceived lack of cooperation between legal practitioners and the anti-corruption agencies.

Quoting Rule 74(3) of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (RPC), he said it is mandatory for lawyers to report suspicious activities bordering on money laundering and related offences.

“If you see something, say something,” the ICPC Chairman said.

He said: “It is no longer okay for legal practitioners to turn a blind eye,” to the source of their client’s wealth and by extension their own legal fees.

Lawyers, he said, have a duty to show care and concern when dealing with public officials and politically exposed persons.

“Maintaining that public interest must come first at all times and must supersede personal gain,” he said.

He also referenced Rule 60 of RPC, which empowers legal practitioners to freeze assets of persons on the United Nations (UN) watchlist.

He said a similar watchlist exists in Nigeria, therefore, it is the duty of lawyers to report their clients to the NBA anti-corruption unit.

The NBA, he explained, is obliged to forward such information to law enforcement agencies.

He therefore implored the NBA leadership to use the internal risk assessment policy as a set of guidelines, to make its own rules in determining what is ethical and what is not.

He stressed that any anti-corruption or anti-laundering committee must side-step the pitfall of bureaucracy in order to avoid being complicit when a law enforcement agency moves against a client.

The Chairman also advised members of the NBA to avoid shielding suspicious clients but rather use their disciplinary committee to work with law enforcement agencies in the pursuit of justice.

He said, “It is time to put practicable measures in place to walk the talk”.