Only President Muhammadu Buhari Can Determine Fate Of Acting EFCC Boss, Ibrahim Magu Says Attorney General Abubakar Malami
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), has said only President Muhammadu Buhari
can determine the fate of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
Malami said this on
a Channels TV programme
titled, ‘Question Time’ on Friday.
The AGF was asked if it was proper for Magu to continue in acting capacity
despite being rejected twice by the Senate following a damning report issued
against him by the Department of State Services.
Malami said, “I cannot comment on
the position of my office but one thing I can tell you clearly is that power is
vested in the President constitutionally and it is the President that has the
prerogative and the right to make any conclusion that arises from there.”
When probed further if Magu’s
integrity challenge would not affect the anti-graft war, Malami said he
wouldn’t like to pre-empt the position of the presidency over that.”
The minister admitted that he had
investigated Magu and sent a report to the President but maintained that he
could not reveal the details of the report.
Malami, however, denied reports
that the anti-corruption war was selective.
He said the whistleblower policy
of the Federal Government had led to the recovery of stolen funds, adding that
efforts were being made to fine-tune the policy including ensuring protection
of whistleblowers.
Meanwhile, the Senate has said
that the report by the DSS sent to Malami on Magu’s integrity, has vindicated
the upper chamber.
Chairman, Senate Committee on
Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, in a statement on
Saturday, said the documentary evidence made available to the AGF by the DSS
had justified the Senate.
Abdullahi said, “Following
several calls made to me today by journalists seeking my comments on the leaked
report on Mr. Ibrahim Magu, which was more damning than the one submitted to
us, I can only say that myself and my colleagues have been vindicated.
“From that report, which is now
public, it is obvious that the DG DSS even tried to give Magu soft landing in
the report that was sent to the Senate. The recent report is messier and shows
that our decision not to confirm his nomination was right.”
Punch
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