…Magu dares his prosecutors to present evidence of the allegations against him
The suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has offered an elaborate rejoinder and defense of the petitions and claims leveled against him.
According to the letter obtained by Channels Television on Thursday, Magu wrote in details of the letter repudiated all the allegations as false and a deliberate attempt to tarnish his name.
Magu maintained that there was not even infinitesimal portion of the retrieved funds was fraudulently diverted for his personal consumption and dared his indicters to provide proofs of such fraudulent conversion.
The suspended EFCC czar also differed on the debate that he used the influence of his office as chairman of the anti-corruption institution to initiate criminal trial.
He buttressed that the authority to prosecute cases was not what he could arrogate to himself and before his appointment as the acting Chairman of the commission, the agency has regularly implemented its constitutional power to institute criminal charges where prima facie evidence was made out without seeking for the consent of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
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Magu, who is being investigated by a presidential panel led by Retired Justice Ayo Salami over allegations of grave malfeasance in activities of the EFCC under his administration, defended that the numerous decisions of the Courts of Appeal were to the effect that the agency does not need the fiat of the AGF to institute criminal charges.
He lamented that since his appearance and successive confinement on July 6, he has continually pursued the facts of allegations and petitions against him personally and through his lawyers, but the application had not been obliged to date.
The suspended EFCC boss said while the probe panel has insisted that he was invited not as an accused or a suspect but only as a witness, he has yet to know what the issues or who the persons were.
He specifically responded to the three important issues bordering on the Report of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets (PCARA), Memo of the AGF to the President against him, and the alleged petitions addressed to the AGF which he said were already in the charge of the investigative panel but not served on him.
In his response, Magu specified that no assets were sold and the proceeds thereof converted by the EFCC under his watch.
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He also denied issuing threats to judicial officers either from him or using the influence of the EFCC. He added that there was never a lack of transparency in the management of recovered property under his leadership of the commission.
According to the suspended EFCC boss, there has been no conversion of proceeds from recovered assets or personal augmentation on his part.
Contrary to reports, he indicted the office of the AGF of meddling and being less cooperative and supportive of the process of recovery and management of assets.
Magu concluded in the letter that he has informed the panel that all his actions were documented and followed the recommended processes with necessary approvals.
He insisted that he was innocent and has served his country to the best of his capabilities with all sense of accountability and integrity.
