Magu: AGF Malami ‘sets up committee to write report for Salami panel’
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), has constituted an in-house panel to write a report for the Justice Ayo Salami-led investigative panel probing suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu.
According to sources, the report by Malami’s committee will be adopted and submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari.
It was further gathered that the AGF was using his closeness to the President and the inability of Justice Salami to function optimally due to age constraints to turn the entire case on its head in a bid to nail Magu.
Though the tenure of the panel had expired, Salami and other members have continued to hold sessions in order to keep pocketing sitting allowances and also enjoy other pecks attached to the assignment.
President Buhari had while inaugurating the seven-man panel on July 3, 2020 given it a 45-day mandate to conclude its findings and submit a report.
But more than 90 days since that period, the panel is yet to have a clear-cut direction or convince observers it was not established to persecute individuals regarded as enemies by some top government officials.
Recently, a lawyer to Magu, Zainab Abiola, claimed that Justice Salami expressed regrets for accepting to head the panel investigating the former EFCC boss.
To prove her claim, Abiola took an affidavit of oath, swearing under the law that Salami truly confessed to regretting heading the probe.
Salami, however, denied the claim.
Accusing the panel of bias, another lawyer representing Magu, Wahab Shittu, in a letter dated September 4, 2020, called for Malami to appear before the panel to ensure a fair hearing.
In reaction, Justice Salami issued a subpoena to the AGF to appear before the panel to substantiate the allegations he made against him.
But Malami declined honouring the invitation, instead writing a letter where he gave reasons for his deciaion.
Observers of events have described the probe of Magu as a sham over its lack of transparency and direction.
