The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on Monday testified before a presidential panel, headed by retired president of the Appeal) Court, Justice Isa Ayo Salami.
Reports in Abuja said Magu was invited by the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, after the panel ended its sitting.
Recall that though earlier media reports on Monday, insinuated that Magu was arrested by the Department of State Services, DSS, separate statements by the Spokesperson of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale; that of the DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya and one of the members of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof Femi Odekunle, all denied that he was arrested.
A top source, who spoke with The Nation alleged that: “Magu and his officers had spent the last two weeks looking at all the allegations and compiled appropriate responses to them with documents.
“It is the compendium of evidence that he took to the panel to prove his innocence. Whatever you may accuse Magu of, it is not corruption or self-enrichment.
“All those who have worked with Magu know him for his incorruptibility. He is also a hardliner who stepped on many toes. It is good that a panel is looking into the allegations.
“Take the case of sales of assets, Magu never sold any assets since he came into office. Instead, the seized properties were allocated for use by government agencies.
“The P&ID matter preceded Magu in office because the judgment debt was during the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. Magu only investigated the criminal aspect instead of supporting Settlement Agreement. And he gave the case all his strength to get the best for the nation.
“At the appropriate time, the details of what Magu did in office and what really transpired before the panel will be known to Nigerians for posterity.”
The 22 allegations, which are linked to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami’s memo to President Muhammadu Buhari, against Magu are as follows:
- Alleged discrepancies in the reconciliation records of the EFCC and the Federal Ministry of Finance on recovered funds
- Declaration of N539billion as recovered funds instead of N504b earlier claimed
- Insubordination to the office of the AGF by not seeking his approval on some decisions
- Not providing enough evidence for the extradition of ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke
- Alleged late action on the investigation of Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) leading to legal dispute
- Not respecting court order to unfreeze a N7billion judgment in favour of a former Executive Director of First Bank
- Alleged delay in acting on two vessels seized by Nigerian Navy leading to the loss of crude
- Alleged favouring of some investigators called Magu’s Boys
- Reporting some judges to their presiding officers without deferring to the AGF
- Alleged sales of seized assets to cronies, associates and friends
- Alleged issuance of investigative activities to some media prejudicial to some cases.
