…after anti-graft Czar spends night in police cell
The seven-man panel set up by President Muhmmadu Buhari to investigate corruption allegations levelled against the embattled acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has begun its sitting in Abuja.
The panel, which began sitting in Abuja at 10:00am, has resumed its probe of Magu.
The Presidential panel is being headed by a former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami.
Magu, who was said to have been grilled for about six hours on Monday by the panel, it was learnt, was not allowed to go back home last night.
The EFCC boss was said to have spent the night at the Area 10 Garki, Abuja, headquarters of the Force Criminal Investigation Department.
Department of State Services, on Monday, had denied arresting Magu, just as the EFCC said the anti-graft agency’s boss was only facing an investigative panel and not being detained.
But as at 8:00am on Tuesday, Magu was still undergoing questioning by the panel.
The panel is charged with probing various allegations levelled against Magu following a petition by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Department of State Service.
Malami’s memo allegedly accused Magu of diversion of recovered loot.
The memo was said to contain 22 allegations against the embattled EFCC boss.
But Malami through his spokesman, Dr Umar Gwandu, denied knowledge of Magu’s arrest.
But a reliable source said the Salami panel had “quizzed Magu,” who has been the acting chairman of the EFCC since 2015.
According to the source, Justice Salami was selected to chair the panel because he would not compromise, saying Magu, who is now “a loner,” might be asked to hand over to the most senior officer at the EFCC while his investigation continues.
“I don’t see him surviving this,” the source said.
Another source said interrogating Magu was a tough decision for President Buhari to take. But having been confronted with evidence of Magu’s alleged malfeasance, the President had to give the green light for his probe.
Earlier on Monday, media reports indicated that Magu was invited and grilled by a Federal Government panel.
But following enquiries over Magu’s arrest, DSS spokesman, Dr Peter Afunanya, issued a statement denying it.
The DSS in the statement titled: “MAGU, NOT ARRESTED BY DSS,” reads: “The Department of State Services (DSS) wishes to inform the public that it did not arrest Ibrahim MAGU, Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as has been reported by sections of the media.
“The Service, has since, today, 6th July, 2020, been inundated with enquiries over the alleged arrest.”
Other reports said Magu was indeed invited for questioning by a Federal Government panel.
Similarly, EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said in a statement on Monday that Magu was only facing an investigative panel and not under DSS detention as reported.
According to the EFCC statement, “Mr. Ibrahim Magu on Monday, July 6, 2020, honoured an invitation by a Presidential Panel reviewing the activities of the EFCC, at the Banquet Hall wing of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“He was served the invitation to the panel while on his way to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, for a meeting. The EFCC boss was neither arrested nor forced to honour the invitation. A member of a legal team from the EFCC is also with him on the panel.”