<p>The aim of this research paper is to examine the legal framework for the recovery of corruptly-acquired assets, with particular emphasis on the Nigerian situation. Its primary focus is a detailed examination of the legal mechanisms for the recovery of such assets in the context of international asset recovery. Despite the success of the Nigerian government in recovering the Abacha loot,8 siphoning off of public funds by public office holders continues, and charges of fraud persist against top bank executives alleged to have converted depositors&rsquo / funds fraudulently. The prevailing criminal or conviction-based forfeiture mechanism in Nigeria appears inadequate to deal effectively with these situations. The need to enhance capacity through the adoption of civil or non-conviction based forfeiture laws therefore becomes imperative.</p>

<p>The aim of this research paper is to examine the legal framework for the recovery of corruptly-acquired assets, with particular emphasis on the Nigerian situation. Its primary focus is a detailed examination of the legal mechanisms for the recovery of such assets in the context of international asset recovery. Despite the success of the Nigerian government in recovering the Abacha loot,8 siphoning off of public funds by public office holders continues, and charges of fraud persist against top bank executives alleged to have converted depositors&rsquo / funds fraudulently. The prevailing criminal or conviction-based forfeiture mechanism in Nigeria appears inadequate to deal effectively with these situations. The need to enhance capacity through the adoption of civil or non-conviction based forfeiture laws therefore becomes imperative.</p>

Magister Legum - LLM / The aim of this research paper is to examine the legal framework for the recovery of corruptly-acquired assets, with particular emphasis on the Nigerian situation. Its primary focus is a detailed examination of the legal mechanisms for the recovery of such assets in the context of international asset recovery. Despite the success of the Nigerian government in recovering the Abacha loot,8 siphoning off of public funds by public office holders continues, and charges of fraud persist against top bank executives alleged to have converted depositors&rsquo; funds fraudulently. The prevailing criminal or conviction-based forfeiture mechanism in Nigeria appears inadequate to deal effectively with these situations. The need to enhance capacity through the adoption of civil or non-conviction based forfeiture laws therefore becomes imperative. / South Africa

Magister Legum - LLM

La lutte contre la délinquance de lucre et de trafic repose aujourd’hui en France sur une stratégie fondée principalement sur l’appréhension des avoirs illicites ainsi générés par cette activité. En pratique, la loi française a conféré aux magistrats, et sous certaines conditions aux enquêteurs, des prérogatives très offensives permettant de placer sous-main de justice des biens patrimoniaux très en amont de la procédure, au plus tôt, et ce indépendamment du droit de propriété et de la présomption d’innocence. Cependant, si la loi a grandement réformé le droit des saisies en créant les saisies pénales spéciales, elle n’a pas donné le cadre à un droit de l’exécution des confiscations. En effet, la confiscation reste le pivot de l’enquête pénale patrimoniale, même si les saisies pénales spéciales en sont aujourd’hui le moteur. Pourtant, l’absence d’une procédure post-sentence est de nature à ouvrir un nouvel espace d’opportunité pour permettre aux condamnés de dissiper une partie de leurs biens. C’est la raison pour laquelle le droit pénal patrimonial français devrait connaître une mise à jour pour conférer à la justice un cadre complet pour garantir que le crime ne paie pas / In France, the money-laundering and trafficking fight is based on a apprehension of the illicit assets strategy. French law give to magistrates, and under conditions to investigators, very offensive prerogatives to seize property assets very early in the proceedings and regardless of the property and the presumption of innocence rights. However, the law largely reformed law of seizures by creating special criminal seizures, it did not provide a framework for confiscation enforcement. Indeed, confiscation remains the pivot of criminal property investigation, although special criminal seizures are now the driving force. The absence of a post sentential procedure is likely to open a new space of opportunity for the convicteds to dissipate part of their property. This is the reason why French criminal law should be updated to give justice a complete framework to ensure that crime does not pay