Ayodele Olalere
Counsel to embattled former acting Chairman of the Economic Financial and Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wahab Shittu, has said his client, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has no hand in the re-looted N392 billion fund.
In a statement by Shittu, he described as ‘propaganda’ insinuation that one of the reasons the former acting EFCC boss was undergoing questioning by Justice Salami led panel was his involvement in the NNPC fraud.
The statement described the propaganda as ‘prejudicial to panel proceedings.’
According to Shittu, “Our attention has been drawn to a misleading and fallacious media reports and insinuations concerning our client , Mr. Ibrahim Magu in respect of matters that never featured before the proceedings of the ongoing Hon. Justice Ayo Salami led investigation panel set up by the President.
“It is therefore necessary to correct these falsehood in the public space to set the records straight.
“Contrary to the misleading media reports , EFCC under our client’s watch NEVER misappropriated any funds recovered for NNPC.
“The truth of the matter is that, well over N329billion recovered by EFCC under our client’s watch was remitted directly into NNPC dedicated accounts via REMITTA under a special arrangement endorsed by NNPC, EFCC and the affected NNPC’s indebted marketers.
“By virtue of the said special arrangement, NNPC had requested formally the EFCC to recover the said amount from the affected NNPC’s marketers who were expected to pay such funds directly to NNPC while NNPC in turn confirmed receipt of such payments to EFCC.
“Therefore, 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,” the statement stated.
The statement added that contrary to the insinuation, the commission had received commendation from the stakeholders such as PPMC.
It continued, “Interestingly, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company LTD (PPMC) , a subsidiary of NNPC had in a letter dated August 17, 2017 with reference number PPMC/MD/254, actually commended the EFCC under my client’s watch.”
It further stated the issue of the NNPC recovered money never comes before the Justice Salami panel and wondered where such accusation comes from.
“The issue of NNPC recovered funds has never featured in the proceedings of the panel and our client has never been confronted with such wild allegations.
“Our client is alarmed at the motive behind such spurious allegation in spite of altruistic service to country without personal pecuniary benefits.”
On accusations over assets declaration, it also described it as falsehood that the former EFCC boss did not declare his assets prior to assuming office.
“Again, this falsehood being orchestrated in the public space and attributed to the panel proceedings is a gross misrepresentation and blatant falsehood.
“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 honorable panel,” the statement stated.
Concerning allegation that Magu failed to “properly explain the rationale for exclusion of culprits in the alleged misapplication of N3billion at Federal Inland Revenue Services, FIRS, the statement stated “this is one 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.
“Our client has no interest in shielding anyone found culpable from the long arms of the law.
“At any rate, time does not run against the state in criminal prosecutions. It is tendentiously wicked to suggest that our client excluded major approving authorities from the criminal process.
“The case was properly investigated and professionally vetted with our client deploying no influence whatsoever on the outcome.”
It therefore attributed all allegations against the embattled former anti-graft agency boss as ‘desperate attempts to malign our client.’
“In the last three weeks, our client in spite of service to country has gone through sponsored, unprecedented and unjustifiable coordinated attacks designed to infringe on his liberties and prejudice the work of the investigation panel with a view to prejudging and convicting him in the public space.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: https://www.thexpressng.com/2020/07/25/sokoto-govt-approves-n4-6b-for-schools-roads-construction/
“These attacks from the manner of his arrest, unjustified detention to the release of prejudicial information in the public space and defamatory imputations not arising from the proceedings of the panel are all designed to pitch our client against constituted authorities and truncate his fledging career notwithstanding his monumental contributions to nation building.
“Our client takes all these attacks in his strides because of his passion for the anti -corruption war of this administration for which he has received acclaim locally and internationally and his unwavering respect for the president.
“Our client maintains that the only thing going for him in spite of these sponsored attacks, is his conviction of his innocence.
“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 defense 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.”
