The Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Godfrey Utazi has accused the United Kingdom of paying lip-service to the Federal Government’s fight against corruption.
He said the inability of the British Government to either create necessary legislations or amend its banking laws to discourage offshore stealing and warehousing of looted funds from Nigeria, despite several advocacies, had created the impression that the UK is merely paying lip-service to its promise to help President Muhammadu Buhari fight corruption in the country.
In an interview with Vanguard newspaper, Senator Utazi noted that financial institutions in the UK were in the habit of signing Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with looters not to disclose their identities after they create bank accounts for depositing their illicit financial resources.
He said until UK takes the lead in prohibiting such MoUs and removing similar non-disclosure clauses in its laws, ending capital flight from Nigeria through illegal means will remain a mirage.
He said: “A kettle shouldn’t call the pot black. I have severally asked the House of Commons to make necessary amendments to the British banking laws to discourage ‘non-disclosure’ clauses.
“Countries that are helping us in this fight against corruption will help us much better by instituting laws that will discourage capital flight from Nigeria and other illicit financial flows.
“The British government has to put a legislation in place that stops the banking institutions in the UK from allowing such. Let there be transparency. If we start with the UK, other countries will follow suit.
“If the UK government is serious in helping us fight corruption, they should do the right thing. Otherwise, it’s all lip-service that won’t help anyone.”
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