0
0
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has commenced the process of executing fraud risk assessment on Federal Government agencies as part of efforts to fight corruption in the country.
Executive Chairman of EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York that the measure would detect the agencies that were vulnerable to fraud.
Bawa said EFCC had built its capacity to understand fraud risk assessment, which it had already started implementing.
“The idea is for us to advise government on vulnerability of those agencies to fraud and corruption.
“We have already engaged the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, they are willing to partner with us towards carrying fraud risk assessment on all the parastatals under the ministry.’’
He said that the EFCC had an understanding between fighting corruption and fighting corrupt people and would do its best to achieve its mandate of combating corruption in the county.
Fighting corruption is about looking at the system, looking at the loopholes, and advising the government on what to do regarding that.
“EFCC is working towards intelligence-driven investigation and that is why one of the things I did is to establish a full-fledged department of intelligence.
“In addition, when we talk about catalog of stealing and receiving stolen goods as enshrined in the Criminal Code; if you steal and you are convicted, it is seven years imprisonment and if you receive stolen goods, it is 14 years imprisonment.
“Our study of that is the fact that without those who are receiving stolen goods, stealing will be prevented; that is why they have high punishment for those receiving stolen goods,’’ Bawa said.
The EFCC boss said the commission was working tirelessly to focus on gatekeepers in money laundering.
According to him, gatekeepers are non-designated financial institutions as provided for in the Money Laundry Prosecution Act and include tax consultants, car dealers, real estate managers, lawyers, and accountants, among others.
