56 Days after, Magu Yet to be Served with Copy of Allegations

56 Days after, Magu Yet to be Served with Copy of Allegations

 Interim report on Magu, figment of authors’ imagination, says counsel

By Kingsley Nwezeh

The suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, is yet to be served a copy of the 22-point allegations levelled against him by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, 56 days after the panel was inaugurated.

This is coming as the Counsel to Magu, Mr. Wahab Shittu, said the purported interim report allegedly submitted to the presidency did not emanate from the panel.

Today marked 56 days since the panel began sitting at the presidential Villa, Abuja.

The panel sat for 40 days since inauguration with the exclusion of 14 days being weekends and public holidays.

Magu’s legal team had repeatedly insisted that Magu was yet to be served a copy of the allegations against him.

The lawyers have also alleged that he has not been allowed to cross-examine witnesses testifying against him.

Magu’s Counsel, Shittu, weekend said the Chairman of the panel, Justice Ayo Salami, ruled on his application against the media report.

Shittu stated that he confronted the panel with the consequence of the purported release of the said interim report in certain sections of the media.

Shittu further said he had urged the panel to take a judicial notice of the publications and the need to take necessary action against the purveyors of the fabricated report.

But Shittu quoted Salami as insisting that the report was based on the figment of the authors’ imagination.

Wahab also quoted Salami as saying this in his ruling over the interim report, “The story arising from the so-called interim report is not from us.

“What should concern you and your client is what the chairman said. Inviting the promoters of the story will not serve any useful purpose as they will not disclose their sources of the story.

“The purported story is a figment of their imagination”.

Magu was arrested on Monday, July 6, 2020 and taken before the panel.

President Muhammadu Buhari signed the letter of instrument on July 3, 2020 and named the panel as commission of inquiry to look into alleged mismanagement of recovered assets against Magu.

The letter was made available to Magu on Saturday, August 8.

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