Suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu has on Thursday expressed confidence that he would be cleared of all allegations and reinstated to office.
Magu, who was suspended last week by President Muhammadu Buhari over corruption allegations against him by the Justice Ayo Salami-led presidential investigative panel, said the charges are trumped up to tarnish his image.
He said this following his release from detention nine days after being arrested to face the investigation panel.
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Speaking to the Punch, his lawyer, Mr Wahab Shittu, said;
I have the instruction of Mr Magu to tell Nigerians that he is not against the ongoing probe. The allegations against him are trumped up. He strongly believes that his name will be cleared and he will be reinstated back to office.
Meanwhile, Shittu on behalf of Magu sent a letter to the panel denying a series of allegations reported in the media.
Specifically, he denied giving N4bn to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, and N28m to Mr Femi Falana (SAN), which both separately denied.
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The letter titled, ‘Publications prejudicial to the proceedings of this honourable panel,’ was sent to the panel on Thursday.
Shittu stated that the “serial falsehood publications in the media” in respect of matters “never featured in the proceedings of this honourable panel.”
He said;
The charges against our client are trumped-up allegations designed to tarnish his image and rubbish the credibility and image of the EFCC which has been stellar and outstanding under our client’s watch. Based on the above circumstances, our client was not given adequate time and facilities for his defence and his demand for a copy of the allegations against him has not been honored till date. We appeal to the honorable panel to consider the above and uphold the fundamental rights to fair hearing of our client.
On the allegation of giving N4bn to Osinbajo, the letter read;
Our client strongly denies this falsehood against the respected Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Our client has never given the sum of N4bn or any sum at all to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as wrongly reported.
He also described the allegation of giving N28m to Falana as “complete fabrication”, stressing that;
Our client never gave N28m or any amount to Mr Femi Falana SAN as maliciously reported. Our client also denies any link with a Kaduna-based bureau de change operator as alleged.
Shittu said;
Magu confirms that his house was searched last Monday in his absence while in custody, but no incriminating evidence was found. It is untrue as reported that some dollars and expensive jewellery and wristwatches were found.
Our client states that the search into his house did not reveal any incriminating evidence or materials. The cars removed from his residence were official vehicles assigned to our client as acting chairman of the EFCC.
The letter also stated that Magu had not been confronted with alleged illegal foreign exchange transactions and that “no such report was tendered by NFIU in any proceedings before this panel involving him till date.”
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It added;
Our client states categorically that the maximum forex transactions he has been involved in is the sum of $10,000 till date. Our client also wishes to place on record that he has no link with a Kaduna-based bureau de change operator as erroneously reported in the publication.
Read Also: Panel Questions EFCC Directors, Quizzes Magu Over 380 Houses, Oil-Laden Vessels, N37bn
On the alleged N573m Dubai property, his lawyer said the allegation “is outright falsehood and is denied by our client in unmistakable terms.”
The letter also denied the allegation of diversion of interest on recovered assets, stating that all recovered funds are lodged in the TSA Account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
