SPENDED Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has said that he will no longer fold his arms in the face of what he described as sustained malicious attacks to prejudge him in the public space.
Magu declared that the allegations were prejudicial to the proceedings of the panel.
He spoke through his lawyer, Wahab Shittu, in a statement on Sunday, titled, “Re: Magu faces questions over assets declaration- Fresh Propaganda Against Our Client Prejudicial to Panel Proceedings”, saying that henceforth, he would respond to allegations, “point by point”.
The statement said, “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 defence for the world to see.
“This is without prejudice to the willingness of our client to defend himself in the ongoing proceedings at the Presidential Investigation Panel.”
According to Magu, funds recovered from indebted oil marketers on behalf of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation were not misappropriated by the commission as is being alleged.
His lawyer claimed that funds recovered by the EFCC under Magu’s watch were paid directly into dedicated accounts of the NNPC.
He said, “The truth of the matter is that, well over N329bn recovered by the EFCC under our client’s watch was remitted directly into NNPC dedicated accounts via REMITTA under a special arrangement endorsed by the NNPC, the EFCC and the affected NNPC indebted marketers.
“By virtue of the said special arrangement, the NNPC had requested formally the EFCC to recover the said amount from the affected oil marketers who were expected to pay such funds directly to NNPC while the NNPC in turn confirmed receipt of such payments to EFCC.”
He therefore said that the 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. This can be independently verified both at the NNPC and the EFCC records.”
According to the lawyer, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Limited, a subsidiary of NNPC, had, in a letter dated August 17, 2017, with reference number ‘PPMC/MD/254’, commended the EFCC under Magu’s watch.
He also noted that allegations bordering on NNPC recovered funds had never featured in the proceedings of the panel, neither had Magu been confronted with such.
“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,” the statement said.
Magu also denied ever shielding anyone from investigation, as regards allegations of exclusion of culprits in the alleged misapplication of N3bn at the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
The statement said, “Our client has been unfairly accused of failure to properly explain the rationale for excluding some culprits in the alleged misappropriation of N3bn at the FIRS. This 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. Therefore, the question of complicity by our client does not arise. Our client did not give any express or implied directive that anyone indicted be excluded from the legal process.”
