The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has said there should be a review of the laws that allows the agency keep a percentage of recovered loots.

Magu was represented by the David Tukura, deputy director of planning, policy and statistics of the commission at the national anti-corruption conference organised by the presidential advisory committee against corruption (PACAC) and the national assembly in Abuja on Wednesday.

“In some jurisdictions, like the UK, proceeds of crime are further used to strengthen the agency,” he said.

“In EFCC, we have been struggling for years to build our headquarters and when I think of the billions of naira we recover, I can see what would have happened if we are allowed to apply a percentage of this recovery into our operations.”

Magu also said the laws should allow accused persons bear the burden of proof in corruption cases.

“One the issues that concerns us in the EFCC is that of non-conviction-based recovery,” he said.

“It is of great concern to us that the burden is on us to prove in court that this is a proceed of crime.

“But in other climes, the accused has to prove that the property he has, actually represents the fruit of his labour. There is the need for the Act to make a provision for an application of the proceeds of crime into recapitalising the anti graft agencies.”