The Justice Ayo Salami’s Judicial Commission of Inquiry (retd) set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magi, had submitted an interim report to the President.
The report was said to have recommended the sacking of the suspended EFCC Chairman.
According to TheCable, the report also recommended that the President should appoint a new chairman for the anti-graft agency.
ThePunch also revealed that a top source in the police said that although the panel was still probing Magu, testimonies, and documents from witnesses so far was enough to make recommendations for the removal of the suspended EFCC Boss.
A police source privy to the investigation but pleaded anonymity because the government has yet to make a decision on the matter said, “The Salami panel has been sending interim reports to the President. Its latest report, however, recommends Magu’s sacking from the EFCC and possible prosecution.”
He was then asked why the report was sent when Magu had not yet open his defense, the police source said, “But Magu has been part of the process. He has been attending sittings and has even been given the opportunity of cross-examining some witnesses.
“The interim report is for the President alone and is to keep him abreast of the activities of the panel.”
On the contrary, Magu’s lawyer, Wahab Shittu, said Justice Salami had informed him that no such report had been submitted to the President.
Shittu added that Magu had yet to open his defense, and that it would not be right for the panel to recommended his sacking.
According to him, “I don’t understand why we should be talking about a reaction to something that is blatant falsehood. First, the panel is still calling witnesses. Two witnesses appeared before the panel today. So, if there were ongoing proceedings on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and the panel has adjourned till Monday, if witnesses are still being taken and interrogated, and documents are still being submitted, what that should suggest to you is that proceedings are ongoing and have not been concluded. Does it (then) make sense for a report to be submitted?”
Magu’s lawyer added that even if the report was an interim one, it would be wrong for him to submit it without hearing from Magu.
Shitti said, “Ibrahim Magu, my client, has not opened his defence and the panel has repeatedly indicated that he would be allowed to defend himself only after witnesses have been exhausted. So, somebody who has yet to defend allegations against him, can he be indicted?
“Whether interim or final, you cannot issue the report without listening to all the witnesses and then take the defence. My reaction is that the story is planted by mischief-makers. A similar falsehood was published by a newspaper and I confronted the panel yesterday (Thursday) and the chairman said how could they have issued such a report when they haven’t formally served him with the allegations and he told me to disregard the report.”
