SUSPENDED acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has told the Justice Ayo Salami investigation panel that charges against him “are trumped-up allegations.” The Salami panel was set up by President Muhammadu Buhari, under the Tribunals of Inquiry Act and other relevant laws to investigate activities of the anti-corruption commission under Magu following a memo written by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
The AGF had made some damning allegations against Magu, alleging insubordination to the Office of the AGF, alleged re-looting of recovered loots and sale of seized assets to cronies, associates and friends, among others. In a letter written n behalf of Magu by his lawyer, Wahab Shittu, to the panel and addressed to the chairman, a retired president of the Court of Appeal, the embattled Magu stated that the allegations were trumped up to tarnish his image and rubbish his credibility as well as EFCC’s image, which he said was stellar and outstanding under him.
“The charges against our client are trumped-up allegations designed to tarnish his image and rubbish the credibility and image of EFCC which has been stellar and outstanding under our client’s watch,” the lawyer stated in the letter. Shittu stated that Magu was not given adequate time and facilities to defend himself, adding that a demand for a copy of the allegations against him had not been honoured.
“Based on the above circumstances, our client t was not given adequate time and facilities for his defence and his demand for a copy of the allegations against him has not been honoured till date. “We appeal to the honourable panel to consider the above and uphold the fundamental rights to a fair hearing of our client.”
While expressing Magu’s readiness to formally respond to allegations against him and furnish the panel documentary evidence, Shittu stated that the panel had yet to give his client a copy of the allegations against him to enable him formally respond to same.
He, therefore, demanded for a copy of the report of the Presidential Audit Committee, a copy of the memo of the attorney-general of the federation to the president on the suspended EFCC acting chairman and individual petitions submitted to the panel against Magu.
“Our client observes that rather being afforded copies of the allegations against him, some of these allegations are flying around on social media platforms with prejudicial consequences,” he said. Meanwhile, Magu has debunked some tories in a section of the media, describing them as “serial falsehood publications” being orchestrated in the media in respect of matters which never featured in the proceedings of the presidential panel.
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