Legal News

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Thomas Arkwright, has said that, one year after the May 2016 London Anti-corruption Conference, corruption still remains “one of the biggest global issues of our time”.

Speaking at the national launch of the Chatham House study on the Collective Action on Corruption in Nigeria: A Social Norms Approach to Connecting Society and Institutions commissioned and funded by DFID Nigeria, he told delegates that no country was immune from corruption – and governments needed to work together and work with partners from business and civil society to tackle it successfully.

“This is why the hugely successful London Anti-corruption Summit last year, in which Nigeria played a major and positive role, was important to galvanise global action against corruption,” he added, saying that tackling corruption required systems to be in place, attitudes in society attuned to the effort – and a process to investigate, prosecute and sanction.

“Plugging loopholes and ensuring good management systems – the prevention agenda – is important. But so is justice.

“I am convinced that the Nigerian people want looters to be prosecuted and, if found guilty, given long jail sentences. I am proud to say the UK supports Nigeria in all these areas.

“I’m not going to make a long and detailed argument about why corruption is a bad thing – it is well known that corruption is bad for people, bad for development and bad for business: indeed the impact on business has been significant in Nigeria."

He told the conference that the UK and Nigeria were making good and sustained progress on commitments made at the Anti-corruption Summit.

“For instance, both countries recognise the value of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in advancing transparency and good governance reform.

“Both have committed to reforms made together with civil society – and are working with civil society to embed these commitments into National Action Plans.

“Both countries are making progress on establishing beneficial ownership registers so looters can no longer, for example, use stolen funds to buy property in London and expect to keep this secret.

“Corruption is challenging to eradicate – Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts must be underpinned by a deeper understanding of the social drivers of corruption.

“There must be insights into why people engage in or refrain from corrupt activity – and the societal factors that may contribute to normalising corrupt behaviours in the first place and desensitising citizens to its impacts.

“That is why we commissioned Chatham House to conduct a study exploring social norms of corruption in Nigeria.”

The Chatham House study was carried out in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania’s Social Norms Group, Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics – and teams from six Nigerian universities.

The study provides in depth analysis of social norms of corruption in Nigeria – and puts forward options to generate action by a critical mass of local actors who want to forge a “new normal”.

Duncan Lewis Business Crime Solicitors

Duncan Lewis Business Crime Solicitors can advise at any stage of a business offence, including at the start of an investigation and before charges are brought.

Our specialist business crime solicitors advise on false accounting, failure to keep adequate records, breach of bankruptcy restrictions, embezzlement, extortion, VAT and tax evasion, misrepresentation, company fraud, financial fraud and white collar crime.

Duncan Lewis Solicitors can liaise with investigating authorities, including HMRC, The Insolvency Service, SFO, FCA, BEIS and City of London Police.

There are Duncan Lewis offices across England and Wales – and a Duncan Lewis criminal defence lawyer can usually reach a police station for interview under caution within an hour. Duncan Lewis is a leading provider of Legal Aid criminal defence services.

Duncan Lewis can also advise on Confiscation Orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).

For expert legal advice on all business offences, call Duncan Lewis business crime solicitors on 0333 772 0409.

For 24/7 help at a police station, call the Duncan Lewis Solicitors 24-Hour Emergency Helpline on 0333 772 0607.