· EFCC boss accused of living above his means,
fraternising with corrupt persons, diversion of loot·
·
Anti-graft commission’s boss may be asked to step
down·
· Emefiele, finance minister to testify
A presidential panel set up by the President, Major General
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Monday, grilled the acting Chairman of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, for six hours at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja
The panel, which was inaugurated about a week ago, interrogated Magu at
the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after he was whisked to
the venue by armed operatives of the Department of State Services.
The panel, led by a former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo
Salami (retd.), had about seven other members including the Deputy
Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence
Department, Mike Ogbizi.
The panel also had representatives from the Office of the National
Security Adviser, the DSS and other related agencies.
It was learnt that Magu was accosted by security agents in plain clothes
in front of the old EFCC headquarters on Fomella Street, Wuse 2, Abuja, around
12noon on Monday.
Magu, who was in his own convoy, was shown a letter of invitation from
the presidential panel requesting his presence.
The EFCC boss was said to have explained to the security agents that he
would honour the invitation on a future date but they refused to accept Magu’s
explanation and insisted that he followed them to the Presidential Villa.
He was subsequently whisked away and brought before the panel where he
responded to several questions directed at him.
A top EFCC source said, “Attempts to bring Magu before the panel in the
past had proved abortive. So, on Monday, a team of security agents in
plain clothes accosted him around the old EFCC office in Wuse 2.
“Magu’s men quickly put up a resistance but the security officials on
the other side quickly corked their guns and insisted that they were following
presidential orders. They immediately took Magu into custody and brought him
before the panel.”
It was learnt that 24 allegations were levelled against Magu who has
been acting as chairman for almost five years.
Most of the allegations, it was learnt, emanated from a report by the
Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and a DSS report
which was submitted to the Senate in 2016 and 2017.
The EFCC boss was accused of living above his means, fraternising with
corrupt persons, diversion of recovered funds and many others.
Magu grilled over missing funds, discrepancies in recovered funds,
others
The EFCC boss was accused of living above his means, fraternising with
corrupt persons, diversion of recovered funds and many others.
He was also accused of insubordination.
Magu, it was learnt, was allowed to leave after about six hours and may
be asked to return to make further clarifications.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that the acting EFCC boss might be asked to
step down pending the outcome of investigation.
A top source said, “The usual procedure is that when one is facing an
investigation of this nature, he would be advised to step down.
“This is because the EFCC is the face of this government’s
anti-corruption crusade and keeping Magu there amid this investigation could
present a moral challenge.
“I understand that he has been advised to hand over to the next most
senior director but he is being adamant.”
We did not arrest Magu, says DSS
The DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, denied that Magu was arrested by the
agency but he did not explain why he was compelled by operatives to appear
before the panel for interrogation.
In a statement titled “Magu not arrested by DSS,” Afunanya wrote, “The
Department of State Services wishes to inform the public that it did not arrest
Ibrahim Magu, acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
as has been reported by sections of the media.
“The service has since, today, July 6, 2020, been inundated with
enquiries over the alleged arrest.”
Despite the DSS’ denial, however, a source told one of our
correspondents that Magu was actually arrested.
“He was actually arrested. He didn’t honour an invitation sent to him,
so they plotted and cornered him.
“His driver was forced out of the vehicle and he was driven down to the
venue,” the source claimed.
Sources confirmed to The PUNCH that the investigation into
the missing funds followed a formal complaint by Malami against Magu.
Malami had reportedly complained to Buhari about Magu’s conduct
and advised that he should be relieved of his appointment.
He was also said to have accused Magu of insubordination and
discrepancies in the figures of funds recovered by the EFCC, disposing of
assets, especially buildings seized from corrupt politicians and others,
without approval, or knowledge of the AGF’s office, which is the supervisory
ministry of the EFCC.
The AGF listed various offences allegedly committed by Magu, for which
he should be sacked.
It was gathered that the Governor of Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele
and the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, would also make submissions before
the panel on the funds and real estates recovered by the EFCC in order to
reconcile them with the records being held by their respective offices.
A source stated, “The President set up a panel to interrogate Magu on
the missing funds and discrepancies in the records of recovered funds from
politically-exposed persons.
“The justice minister had earlier directed the police to investigate the
allegations against Magu, but the government discovered that the police were
hiding some information and were not thorough in their investigations. So, they
directed the DSS to be part of the investigating team.
“Malami said some of the funds recovered by the EFCC were not in the CBN
accounts and he has all the records. The panel is expected to invite the CBN
Governor and the Minister of Finance to shed further light on the issue.”
Magu was questioned by panel, not arrested – EFCC
The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, in a statement confirmed that Magu was
questioned by the panel, insisting that he was not arrested as earlier
reported.
The statement read, “Magu honoured an invitation by a presidential panel
reviewing the activities of the EFCC at the Banquet Hall wing of the
Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“He was served the invitation to the panel, while on his way to
the Force Headquarters, Abuja for a meeting.
“The EFCC’s boss was neither arrested nor forced to honour the
invitation. A member of a legal team from the EFCC is also with him at
the panel.”
Security operatives bar journalists
Security operatives however stopped State House correspondents from
gaining access into the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja where
Magu was questioned.
Reporters who made attempts to gain entrance into the facility inside
the Presidential Villa at about 3..20pm were turned back.
One of the security operatives told the reporters that “They said you
people should excuse the use of this place today.”
State House correspondents have a media gallery located inside the
facility but were not allowed to access it.
Forces behind corruption more powerful than COVID-19 – Magu’s lawyer
Meanwhile, Magu’s lawyer, Mr. Oluwatoyin Ojaomo, has said the forces
behind corruption in Nigeria are more powerful than Covid-19.
Ojaomo said this on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme on
Monday while reacting to the investigation of Magu by the presidential panel.
The lawyer said his client was under probe because of the disparity in
the figures of recoveries he announced publicly and the funds remitted to the
government’s coffers.
He said the funds remitted were more than the monies declared.
Ojaomo said, “When you are fighting corruption, the forces behind
corruption are so powerful; they are more powerful than COVID-19.
“You can imagine what is happening. Instead of Magu to be celebrated,
those powerful corrupt persons who have the media backing them are trying to
call a dog a bad name so they can hang it.”
The lawyer said asset recovery was a continuous process and as such
there would always be discrepancies in figures.
Also speaking, activist Auwal Musa aka Rafsanjani, said Magu’s
experience has again shown the need for a legal framework on asset recovery and
management..
Magu has been occupying the office in an acting capacity since the
National Assembly twice refused to confirm his nomination to head the
anti-graft agency after the President sent his name to the federal lawmakers.
The eighth National Assembly under Dr Bukola Saraki refused to
confirm him based on a security report by the DSS.
The secret police had accused Magu, a Commissioner of Police, of
occupying a residence rented for N40m at N20m per annum, noting that the
accommodation was paid for by a businessman, Air Comm. Umar Mohammed (retd.),
who was subsequently arrested by the secret service.
The DSS investigation also indicated the acting EFCC chairman embarked
on official and private trips in a private jet owned by Mohammed.
A whistleblower, George Uboh, had also accused the EFCC of looting
over N1 trillion recovered loot.
Uboh in a video posted on social media accused the commission’s
leadership of selling off properties of accused persons and diverting the
proceeds into a private pocket.
Source: punchng.com
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