Soni Daniel – Abuja

The suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, has denied all the allegations levelled against him before the Presidential Panel probing him over alleged sundry claims.

Magu said this in a letter by his lawyer, Wahab Shittu, to the panel headed by retired Justice Isa Salami, that all the allegations against him were false and borne out of bad blood.

The letter also dispelled media reports accusing Magu, saying none of the claims were accurate.

Part of the allegations he cleared the air on include N573m Dubai property linked to Magu, alleged diversion of interest on recovered funds.

Shittu said: “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 a deposit account.

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“The alleged transaction never featured in the proceedings before this Honourable Panel. Our client has never confronted with any such allegation in the proceedings before this panel and the news is a blatant falsehood.”

Shittu also said that Magu was not questioned over the sum of N700 million meant for the EFCC’s operatives.

“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 documentation,” Shittu said.

The lawyer also refuted the news that his client, Magu and EFCC director were grilled by the Ayo Salami-led panel. Shittu explained that the true position was that “our client and his Counsel (Mr Wahab Shittu) arrived at the venue of the ongoing Investigations on Monday 13th July 2020 by 9 am.

“Our client and his Counsel were kept at the waiting room of the venue of the sittings unattended to from 9 am to 9 pm 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.”

In the same vein, Shittu also cleared the air on the alleged payment of N4 billion to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and another N28 million to Femi Falana.

“This allegation is complete falsehood designed to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the Vice President and our client.”

Shittu revealed that as at the ninth day, Magu hadn’t gotten a copy of the allegation against him to enable him to respond formally.

He, however ‘respectfully” demanded: “A copy of the report of the Presidential Audit Committee; A copy of the memo of HAGF to the President on our client: Individual Petitions submitted to the Panel against our client.”

He said it is important especially as same allegations had flooded the social media space and it is only logical that his client also gets the privilege of responding to the same documents.

He also described as “complete fabrication” news that the EFCC failed to submit audited accounts for four years.

“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 a fair hearing of our client,” Shittu submitted.

Vanguard