Ibrahim Magu, suspended acting chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says he will respond to every allegation
against him now ”point to point”.
In a statement issued by Wahab Shittu, his lawyer, the
suspended EFCC chief denied misappropriating funds recovered for the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
He said the allegations against him border on matters that
were never brought before the panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to
probe the activities of the EFCC under him.
He also said the allegations were prejudicial to the
proceedings of the panel.
”Take notice that, our client can no longer fold his hands
in the face of these sustained malicious attacks to prejudge him in the public
space. Our client will henceforth, point by point reply to all false
allegations orchestrated against him in the public space on a daily basis as
well as present his comprehensive defense for the world to see,” he said
through his lawyer.
”This is without prejudice to the willingness of our client
to defend himself in the ongoing proceedings at the Presidential Investigation
Panel.
“The truth of the matter is that well over N329 billion
recovered by EFCC under our client’s watch was remitted directly into NNPC
dedicated accounts via Remita under a special arrangement endorsed by NNPC,
EFCC and the affected NNPC’s indebted marketers.
“By virtue of the said special arrangement, NNPC had
requested formally the EFCC to recover the said amount from the affected NNPC’s
marketers who were expected to pay such funds directly to NNPC while NNPC, in
turn, confirmed receipt of such payments to EFCC.
“Therefore, EFCC never took custody of any of the recovered
funds and so, the question of misappropriation of such funds by EFCC or our
client could not have arisen as falsely published,” he said.
He also described the allegations of false asset declaration
against him as “gross misrepresentation and blatant falsehood”.
“Our client has never been confronted with any such
allegations purportedly arising from the panel’s proceedings. The story
attributed to the panel which has become a recurring decimal, is a dangerous
attempt to discredit the work of the honourable panel,” he said.
Responding to the allegation that he was shielding some
persons in the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) from prosecution, Magu
said it is “falsehood from the pit of hell”.
“Investigations were painstakingly conducted by EFCC under
our client’s watch. The matter has since been referred for prosecution. Charges
have been prepared ahead of arraignment in court,” he said.
“Our client has no interest in shielding anyone found
culpable from the long arms of the law. At any rate, time does not run against
the state in criminal prosecutions. It is tendentiously wicked to suggest that
our client excluded major approving authorities from the criminal process.
“As a matter of fact, one Peter Hena, head of the FIRS
coordinator support services group, who allegedly authorized the illegal
payment is one of those listed to be arraigned. The case was properly
investigated and professionally vetted with our client deploying no influence
whatsoever on the outcome.
Magu was arrested on July 6 and subsequently suspended as
EFCC acting chairman following allegations of corruption brought against him by
the office of the attorney-general of the federation (AGF).
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