Former Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, has responded to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent comment that some persons occupying positions in government should be in jail.
Obono-Obla stated that some people who served under Obasanjo’s administration should also be in jail, but as a lawyer, he cannot subscribe to such arguments.
“So many people in Obasanjo’s eight-year presidency equally should have been in jail. However, as a lawyer, I cannot subscribe to such fallacious arguments no matter how attractive it sounds,” Obono-Obla said.
He emphasized that suspicion does not equal guilt, citing a fundamental principle of law.
“Having said that, I think it is in the realm of speculation or rumor-mongering to suggest so, and so a person ought to be in jail. Was the allegation against such a person investigated? Was a prima facie case established against the person? Was he convicted before a court of competent jurisdiction?” Obono-Obla rhetorically asked.
He cautioned against making conclusions based on mere allegations, stressing the importance of a competent court’s verdict in determining guilt.
