The
Presidential Investigation Committee On The Alleged Mismanagement by EFCC of
Federal Government Recovered Assets and Finances From May 2015 to May 2020
Full details
of the stunning letter by Wahab Shittu, lawyer to Ibrahim Magu, the suspended
chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to Justice Ayo Isa
Salami, chairman.
In the
letter, Shittu describes a series of media reports of the investigation as
falsehood:
*PUBLICATIONS
PREJUDICIAL TO THE PROCEEDINGS OF THIS HONOURABLE PANEL*
We act as
Counsel of Choice to Mr Ibrahim Mustafa Magu, the suspended Acting Chairman of
the EFCC hereinafter referred to as “Our Client” and on whose behalf and
specific instructions we write as follows:
This is a
follow-up to our letter dated 10th July, 2020 on behalf of our client.
Please be
advised that the attention of our client has been drawn to serial falsehood
publications in the media in respect of matters which never featured in the
proceedings of this Honourable Panel.
These
falsehood publications being orchestrated in the media include the following:
NFIU SUBMITS
REPORT ON MAGU’S FOREX TRANSACTIONS TO PANEL (SEE THE PUNCH OF TUESDAY, JULY
14, 2020)
This report
was published in The PUNCH on Tuesday July 14, 2020.
Our client
states categorically that he has not been confronted on alleged illegal
transactions and no such report was tendered by NFIU in any proceedings before
this panel involving him till date.
Our client
states categorically that the maximum forex transactions he has been involved
in is the sum of $10,000 (Ten Thousand Dollars) till date.
Our client
also wishes to place on record that he has no link with Kaduna-based Bureau De
Change Operator as erroneously reported in the publication.
ALLEGED N573
MILLION NAIRA DUBAI PROPERTY LINKED TO MAGU
This
allegation is outright falsehood and is denied by our client in unmistakable
terms. It is instructive to state that the General Overseer of Divine Hand of
God Prophetic Ministries, Prophet Emmanuel Omale, in a pre-litigation letter
addressed to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday 13th July, 2020, denied
the allegations that he bought a property in Dubai worth N573 million on behalf
of our client. Our client challenges his accusers to provide details of such property
and proof of ownership by our client. Instructively, The PUNCH at Page 8 of
Tuesday July 14th, 2020 had published the denial of Prophet Emmanuel Omale to
set the record straight.
ALLEGED
DIVERSION OF INTEREST ON RECOVERED FUNDS (SUNDAY PUNCH EDITION OF 12TH JULY,
2020)
This
Publication on Front Page of Sunday Punch Edition of 12th of July, 20320 is
outright falsehood.
Our client
states that all recovered funds are lodged with TSA Account with Central Bank
of Nigeria. It is elementary that funds in TSA Account lodged with CBN do not
generate interest. It is therefore falsehood to publish that our client placed
N500 billion (Five Hundred and Fifty Billion) recovered loot into deposit
account. The alleged transaction never featured in the proceedings before this
Honourable Panel. Our client was never confronted with any such allegation in
the proceedings before this panel and the news is blatant falsehood.
DAY 6: PANEL
QUIZZES MAGU ON N700 MILLION TRAINING FUND (VANGUARD, TUESDAY 14TH JULY, 2020)
The
allegation that this Panel requested our client to account for the sum of N700
million meant for the commission’s operatives is not true. Our client has not
been confronted with such allegation by this Honourable Panel. Our client does
not disburse any such funds in the EFCC. The immediate Director of Finance and
Administration (DFA) summoned by the Panel must have furnished details on this
as the custodian of the funds. Our client denies this allegation completely.
Funds earmarked for training was properly utilised by the Commission. The DFA
and the Director of Audit will explain the utilisation of the funds meant for
training with supporting documentations.
ALLEGED BID
TO SPIRIT MAGU AWAY BUSTED (VANGUARD, JULY 14TH 2020 PG. 5)
The
allegation that there were plans by some associates of our client to spirit him
out of detention as published above is complete fabrication. Since our client
has been in detention Nine (9) days ago, he has cooperated maximally with Law
Enforcement Agents. Our client is only allowed very few restricted and fully
screened visitors. No such incident took place as reported and this is an
attempt to bring our client on collision course with the authorities he
respects enormously. Our client, as a commissioner of police, will never escape
from custody as he remains innocent and a patriotic citizen.
SALAMI PANEL
GRILLS MAGU, EFCC DIRECTORS AGAIN(DAILY TRUST, TUESDAY 14TH JULY, 2020 PG. 3)
The
allegation that our client was grilled by the Panel on Monday, 13th July, 2020
as reported above is complete falsehood. The correct position was that our
client and his Counsel (Mr. Wahab Shittu) arrived the venue of the ongoing
Investigations on Monday 13th July, 2020 by 9am. Our client and his Counsel
were kept at the waiting room of the venue of the sittings unattended to from
9am to 9pm when our client was taken back to custody. This followed the same
pattern on Thursday and Friday last week when our client waited for 12 hours
without being called upon by the Panel to partake in the proceedings. Witnesses
called by the Panel were interrogated by the Panel without the participation of
our client or his Counsel in the proceedings. This was also the pattern on
Tuesday, 14th July, 2020. Our client chose to wait patiently on the panel.
The
allegation that our client was grilled by the Panel on Monday, 13th July, 2020
as reported above is complete falsehood. The correct position was that our
client and his Counsel (Mr. Wahab Shittu) arrived the venue of the ongoing
Investigations on Monday 13th July, 2020 by 9am. Our client and his Counsel
were kept at the waiting room of the venue of the sittings unattended to from
9am to 9pm when our client was taken back to custody
ALLEGED
PAYMENT OF N4 BILLION TO PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO SAN, GCON, VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
Our client
strongly denies this falsehood against the respected Vice President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria. Our client has never given the sum of N4billion or
any sum at all to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, GCON, Vice President of Federal
Republic of Nigeria as wrongly reported. This allegation is complete falsehood
designed to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the Vice President and our
client.
ALLEGED
PAYMENT OF N28 MILLION TO FEMI FALANA SAN
This
allegation is complete fabrication. Our client never gave N28 million or any
amount to Mr Femi Falana SAN as maliciously reported. Our client also denies
any link with a Kaduna-based Bureau De Change Operator as alleged.
SEARCH OF OUR
CLIENT’S HOUSE – NO INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE FOUND
Our client
confirms that his House was searched last Monday in his absence while in
custody, but no incriminating evidence was found. It is untrue as reported that
some dollars and expensive jewelleries and wrist watches were found. Our client
states that the search into his house did not reveal any incriminating evidence
or materials. The cars removed from his residence were official vehicles assigned
to our client as acting Chairman of EFCC.
DENIAL OF
COPIES OF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST OUR CLIENT
Our client is
spending the 9th day in custody without being given copy of the allegations
against him to enable him formally respond to same. Our client is ready to
formally respond to allegations and furnish documentary evidence in support if
served with the copy of the allegations.
Our client
respectfully demands the following:
a) A copy of
the report of the Presidential Audit Committee
b) A copy of
the memo of HAGF to the President on our client
c) Individual
Petitions submitted to the Panel against our client.
Our client
observes that rather being afforded copies of the allegations against him, some
of these allegations are flying round on Social Media platforms with
prejudicial consequences. Our client requests that these allegations be
formally served on him to enable him respond to same immediately.
Our client
observes that the Panel has issued official statement to the effect that it did
not authorise the detention of our client. We request the Panel to recommend to
the Inspector General of Police in whose custody our client is to release him
from custody to enable him adequately prepare his defence and attend to his
failing health. We plead with the authorities to release our client from
custody.
QUESTIONS
OVER ALLEGED N5BILLION ELECTION FUND (VANGUARD, MONDAY, JULY 13, 2020)
Our client
denies receiving from INEC or anybody the sum of N5billion Election Fund as
maliciously reported above. Our client has never been confronted with the
alleged N5billion Election Fund by this Panel. This outrageous sum quoted above
is outright falsehood. Funds released by INEC to EFCC were disbursed directly
to the beneficiaries who participated in the electoral process. This
information can be verified from the INEC Chair, the Director of Finance and
Administration EFCC and Director of Audit respectively. Our client has
absolutely nothing to do with the sum disbursed as Electoral Fund and never
benefitted from the disbursement. The story is complete fabrication designed to
tarnish the image of our client.
ALLEGED
FAILURE TO SUBMIT EFCC AUDITED ACCOUNTS FOR FOUR (4) YEARS (THISDAY, MONDAY,
JULY 13, 2020).
This
publication above is complete fabrication. The truth is that EFCC under our
client’s watch is not in arrears on the submission of Audited Accounts. EFCC
has complied in the submission of Audited Accounts for four years running. The
Audited Account for 2020 will be due statutorily for submission in September,
2020 by virtue of Section 37 of the EFCC Act, 2004.
DSS, POLICE
GO AFTER NFIU OFFICE BURGLARS (DAILY SUN, MONDAY, JULY 13, 2020).
Our client
denies any link in the alleged burgling of the office of the Nigerian Financial
Intelligence Unit (NFIU), located at No 12, Ibrahim Taiwo Street, Aso Villa.
Our client has no link with the Kaduna-based Bureau De Change (BDC) as reported.
Our client states that an attempt to link him with the burglary or the Bureau
De Change is a cheap blackmail. Our Client calls for investigation to unravel
the truth.
It is untrue
that this Honourable Panel queried our client over 322 recovered properties. In
the interrogation of our client so far this has never featured even if the head
of Assets Forfeiture of the EFCC has appeared before the Penal. Our client has
also not been given a copy of the report of the Presidential Committee on Audit
of Recovered Assets (PCARA). This publication is complete fabrication.
SUSPENDED
EFCC BOSS ALLEGEDLY QUERIED OVER 322 RECOVERED PROPERTIES DAILY SUN JULY 13TH,
2020
It is untrue
that this Honourable Panel queried our client over 322 recovered properties. In
the interrogation of our client so far this has never featured even if the head
of Assets Forfeiture of the EFCC has appeared before the Penal. Our client has
also not been given a copy of the report of the Presidential Committee on Audit
of Recovered Assets (PCARA). This publication is complete fabrication. The
truth is that EFCC under our client’s watch is ready to respond to this
allegation if obliged a copy of PCARA.
There has
been no mismanagement of and certainly, there is no lack of transparency in the
management of recovered assets under the leadership of our client. Our client’s
detailed explanations are as follows:
SEIZED
PROPERTIES ALLEGEDLY CORNERED BY TOP EFCC OFFICIALS, MAGU’S FRIENDS – PANEL
(THE PUNCH, JULY 13TH, 2020)
The above
publication is outright falsehood. Our client requests answers to the
following:
a) Who are
the EFCC officials who cornered the properties?
b) What
specific properties were cornered? And by who?
c) Who were
these Magu’s friends who cornered these properties?
Our client
insists that these imputations attributed to the Panel are outright falsehood.
Our client states that these allegations never featured in the proceedings of
the panel.
GENERAL
COMMENTS
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.
Based on the
above circumstances, our client 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
fair hearing of our client.
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