ABUJA — President Muhammadu Buhari, in Tehran, Iran, yesterday, disclosed that many of those who looted the public treasuries in the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan had started returning the stolen funds to the government.
He said that though the government appreciated the development, it was still not enough to condone corruption, stressing that his government would still prosecute them in due course.
He stated that the prosecution of suspects is taking time because the government is painstakingly gathering hard evidence against them.
The President, who spoke at an interactive session with members of the Nigerian community in Tehran, Iran, yesterday, decried the constraints inherent in democracy, recalling that it was easier for him as a military Head of State in 1985 to arrest corrupt individuals and put them in protective custody for them to prove their innocence than in the present democratic practice.
He acknowledged that under the rule of law, the suspects are presumed innocent until convicted by the law.
According to him, “on corruption; yes, they are still innocent. But, we are collecting documents and some of them have started voluntarily returning something. But we want all. When we get those documents, we will formally charge them to court and then we will ask Nigerians to know those who abused their trust when they are entrusted with public funds. So, the day of reckoning is gradually approaching.”
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