Dauda Lawal, former executive
director of First Bank of Nigeria, has accused Ibrahim Magu, suspended chairman
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), of distorting facts in
his defence before the presidential investigative committee.
The committee, headed by Ayo
Salami, retired president of the appeal court, is probing the activities of the
agency under Magu.
Magu was alleged to have
mishandled the recovered loot and sold seized assets to his associates.
In a letter addressed to the
presidential committee, Lawal said Magu made inconsistent statements without
evidence in his testimony before the committee.
“My Lord, I wish to respectfully
state that the narrative by Mr. Ibrahim Magu in his said defence is laced with
barefaced distortion of relevant facts, and is an attempt to mislead the
Honourable Panel. Contrary to extant documentary evidence, Mr. Ibrahim Magu
concocted a tale to suit his mischief without providing any supporting proof of
his false account,” Lawal said.
“Mr. Magu in his response sought
to explain that the sum of US$153,310.000 (One Hundred and Fifty-Three Million,
Three Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars) was brought to Fidelity
Bank Plc. from NNPC on behalf of Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke.
“My Lord, a simple arithmetical
calculation will show that by Mr. Magu’s narrative, the total amount of the
above sums allegedly brought by the above-named persons from NNPC to Fidelity
Bank Plc. is the sum of US$152,480,000. This latest summation by Mr. Magu is
inconsistent with the depositions contained in the Affidavit in support of the
Motion Ex parte for Interim Forfeiture filed by the EFCC before the Federal
High Court on 6th January 2017 that the amount brought from NNPC to Fidelity
Bank Plc. was US$153,310.000.
“Worse still is that both in Mr.
Magu’s narrative and in the Affidavit filed by the EFCC in support of the Ex
parte Application, Mr. Magu and the EFCC failed to show or disclose how the
above sums were withdrawn or “moved” from the NNPC by the above-named persons.
“No account operated or managed
by NNPC in any Bank or financial institution was given as the source of where
the sum was allegedly withdrawn. No record of or from NNPC has been shown to
support the bogus allegation that the sums as alleged by Mr. Magu was withdrawn
from NNPC and “moved” to Fidelity Bank Plc.
“One wonders how the EFCC and Mr.
Magu could rely on the above claims which are false, unfounded and
contradictory as the foundation/basis of their allegations against me.”
Lawal said contrary to Magu’s
claim, record of proceedings showed that he was always in court to defend
allegations against him and that he never employed any delay tactics to stall
the case before the federal high court.
On Wednesday, the presidential
committee said it would ensure fair hearing during the probe.
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