A lawyer, Victor Giwa, says the Attorney-General of the
Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), ordered his arrest because he refused to
implicate the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, Ibrahim Magu.
Giwa said this in a statement on Sunday after he was
released from the EFCC custody.
The lawyer was arrested alongside one Fatima Hassan last
week shortly after they testified before the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel which
is investigating Magu.
Giwa’s former client, Donald Wokoma, who was a Director at
Damijay Integrated Services, had told the panel through a sworn affidavit that
his bank account was frozen by Magu unjustly and he subsequently hired Giwa to
sue the EFCC.
Wokoma, who is a former special assistant to Vice-President
Yemi Osinbajo, had said after the court ordered that the account be unfrozen
that Magu through his ‘boys’ demanded N75m from him as a condition for obeying
the order.
Wokoma, who submitted text messages and audio clips of his
conversation with Giwa, said the latter told him that Magu had demanded the
money and advised him as his lawyer to pay the bribe.
However, when Giwa appeared before the panel, he denied the
bribery allegation, insisting that Magu was a man of integrity. He was later
arrested.
Giwa, however, accused the AGF of instigating his arrest.
He said this in a statement titled, ‘Attorney General of the
Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) Is Using Donald Wokoma, My Erstwhile Client
Against Me For My Refusal To Testify And Indict Ibrahim Magu, Acting Chairman
of EFCC, At The Justice Ayo Salami Panel Investigating The EFCC Boss’.
The statement read in part, “On August 18 and 19, 2020, I
was invited by the Justice Ayo Salami Panel, sitting in Aso Villa to testify
against Ibrahim Magu through a conspiracy between the AGF, Malami (SAN) and
Donald Wokoma, the sacked Special Adviser to Vice President Prof YemiOsibanjo,
whom I have represented and secured a judgement in his favour.
“Donald Wokoma was investigated for fleecing the sum of
N250m from amnesty programme, through his company Damijay Integrated Services,
by receiving contracts he never executed. His account was restricted by the
EFCC.
“On July 11, 2020, Donald Wokoma was scheduled to be
arraigned before Justice Akanbi at FCT High Court, Lugbe. Donald Wokoma was
absent and I represented him and the case was adjourned till October 10, 2020,
for arraignment.
“Donald (Wokoma) in a desperate move to subvert the
administration of justice, to quash or suspend his trial conspired with persons
in the AGF office who had promised to frustrate the trial and release (sic) the
restricted account.
“To achieve this aim, the AGF requested that Donald (Wokoma)
have me to do a petition against Ibrahim Magu to the Justice Ayo Salami Panel,
accusing Ibrahim Magu of graft and having me to testify against the (suspended)
EFCC boss, an offer I declined.
“Donald (Wokoma) in cahoots with the AGF procured a lawyer
who did the petition, which was forwarded by the AGF to the panel.”
The lawyer said surprisingly, Wokoma in a sudden twist,
accused him of being a ‘Magu boy’.
“It was my refusal and my stand to defend the truth and not
to consent to the subversion of Justice that the AGF ordered my arrest and that
of Fatima Hassan, a lawyer, whose testimony absolves me and Ibrahim Magu from
any wrongdoing,” Giwa added.
Attempts to get a reaction from the AGF proved abortive as
he neither responded to calls nor a text message on Monday.
His Spokesman, Umar Gwandu, could not also be reached for
comment.
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