Magu frowns at  refusal of AGF to appear before panel

The suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu has expressed shock that the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) refused to honour the invitation of the panel.

Magu, according to his defence team, was shocked that Malami, who was subpoenaed by the commission, said his non-appearance is constitutional as he faulted the wordings of the invitation sent to him by the panel.

Malami said the terms and wordings of the invitation extended to him were against constitutional provisions.

Malami, in a statement by his media aide, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, said his failure to appear before the panel as a witness is “purely constitutional and not based on any ulterior motive.”

The statement said: “The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has said that his non-appearance at Justice Ayo Salami Panel of Inquiry probing the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, was purely Constitutional and not based on any ulterior motive.

“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice said the appearance or otherwise of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to serve as a witness in any investigation should be a constitutional matter.

“In establishing propriety or otherwise of the presence of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice whose responsibility is to hold constitutional order one must root same within the constitutional provisions.

“The terms and wordings of invitation extended to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice by Justice Ayo Salami’s Panel of inquiry against Magu runs contrary to the Constitutional provisions.

“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is by the provision of the Constitution and extant laws empowered to serve supervisory role. In the case of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been discharging the role effectively.”

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has said his non-appearance at Justice Ayo Salami Panel of Inquiry probing the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu is based on constitutional consideration.