Good Morning Sir,My name is Paul Okoro, a lawyer. I am an ardent listener to your programme. I don’t usually contribute because I am always driving to work when the programme is on. My concern is on the legal issue you commented on in the Synagogue church trial. The law in section 16 of the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State makes a person who procures someone to commit a crime liable as the principal offender.
In this case the Registered Trustees of the church are the one that procured the engineers to work. It was based on the instruction of the church that they proceeded., it will be too simplistic here to rely on doctrine of vicarious liability which does not apply to crime. However, criminal law recognizes any person who procures someone to commit a crime as equally liable. I think the Attorney General should amend the charge against the church. It will be interesting to hear the church put forward as a defence that the engineers acted on their own as independent contractors.
Paul Okoro, Esq
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