Arrests over presidential pardon bribe

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says two government officials took bribes to add a jailed banker to the presidential pardon list. The EFCC has indicted the Ministry of Justice official for allegedly receiving bribes to add Francis Atuche to the list of convicts recently granted pardon by President Muhammadu Buhari. The two indicted officers, according to an EFCC's report seen by Premium Times, served in the secretariat of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM). Emmanuel Fan headed the PACPM secretariat, while the other suspect, Lawrence Marinus, was a member of the secretariat. The 12-member PACPM headed by the Attorney-General Abubakar Malami, had recommended 162 convicted persons for pardon and other forms of clemency in a list sent to Buhari and the Council of State in April.