The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned legal practitioners across the country against charging clients in foreign currencies, describing the practice as illegal and unethical.
The Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Ikoyi, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, gave the warning when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Task Force on Illegal Practice of Law in his office.
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The delegation, led by the Head of the Task Force, Moshood Abiola, was at the EFCC office on a courtesy visit and to discuss areas of collaboration between the two organisations.
Kaltungo expressed concern over the activities of some lawyers allegedly involved in illegal and unethical practices, warning that the Commission would prosecute practitioners found culpable.
He disclosed that the Directorate was currently handling two cases involving lawyers who allegedly charged their clients in dollars.
“We have two cases of lawyers who were found to have charged fees in dollars. This is unethical and illegal, as the Naira is the country’s legal tender,” he said.
The EFCC official said the Commission was reluctant to have disputes with members of the legal profession but warned that practitioners who violated the law would face prosecution.
“Any lawyer we find culpable of charging clients in foreign currencies will be prosecuted,” he said.
Kaltungo also cautioned lawyers against invoking the name of the EFCC to impose excessive charges on their clients.
He acknowledged the right of legal practitioners to determine their professional fees but said they should not falsely represent that fees demanded from clients were required by the EFCC.
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“They have the right to charge their clients as much as they like, but they shouldn’t drag the EFCC into it. They should desist from all these unethical practices,” he said.
Earlier, Abiola commended the EFCC for the recent prosecution and conviction of a fake lawyer, describing the process as “swift and reassuring.”
He said the NBA Task Force had received several complaints involving lawyers allegedly engaged in professional malpractice and sought stronger collaboration with the EFCC to ensure that practitioners found to have committed criminal offences were prosecuted.
“We appreciate the EFCC for the recent prosecution of a fake lawyer. It was swift, and we are glad that the EFCC was able to get the court to convict him,” Abiola said.
He added that the NBA had cases involving legal practitioners accused of malpractice and wanted closer cooperation with the EFCC to ensure that those found culpable faced the law.
Responding to the NBA’s concerns, ACE I Orhieoghene Adewunmi of the Department of Legal and Prosecution, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, urged the NBA to ensure that appropriate publications were made concerning lawyers found culpable of unethical practices.
According to her, publicising sanctions imposed on practitioners for professional misconduct would enable members of the public to identify sanctioned lawyers and avoid engaging their services.
Also, ACE II Henry Anasoh of the Department of Legal and Prosecution raised concerns over alleged practices by some lawyers that could obstruct investigations or frustrate the administration of justice.
Anasoh cited instances where lawyers allegedly assisted suspects in forging documents for bail applications, including purported medical records.
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He also expressed concern over cases in which lawyers approach courts seeking to restrain the EFCC from investigating or prosecuting their clients, including through fundamental rights enforcement suits arising from invitations issued by the Commission.
He urged the NBA to support the EFCC in its efforts to rid the legal profession of unscrupulous practitioners, stressing that the actions of a few individuals should not undermine the integrity and reputation of the legal profession.