……7 Untouchables accused of blackmail, extortion of money from suspects; appropriating exhibits, selling off forfeited / seized assets
…Asked to explain role in exploits of Ag. EFCC chairman
Interrogation of embattled Acting Chairman of the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu entered Day Four yesterday with the Presidential panel led by Justice Ayo Isa Salami grilling select operatives of the commission.
The operatives, referred to as “Magu’s Boys”, are said to be seven in number, and were grilled by the Presidential panel over their roles in the acting chairman’s exploits.
The seven operatives, also pejoratively called “The Untouchables” were accused of committing several atrocities, including allegedly blackmailing and extorting money from suspects, appropriating exhibits to themselves and selling off forfeited or seized assets without remitting the proceeds to government coffers.
The activities of the “The Untouchables,” according to sources who confided in Vanguard, formed part of the allegations in the memo the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Meanwhile, Magu was brought to Aso Villa at about 10:00am yesterday for further grilling by the panel. He was also accompanied by his lawyer. All the directors of the agency and the Secretary, Ola Olukayode, were also at the panel to say what they knew about the allegations against their boss.
Soft-landing bids fail
Meanwhile, Vanguard gathered that frantic efforts made so far by highly-placed persons from various parts of the country close to Magu to seek soft landing for him have failed, as the Presidency is said to have insisted on carrying out a thorough investigation and getting to the root of the matter without minding whose ox was gored.
Police sources hinted that the team of investigators handling the matter had been directed by the Presidency not to compromise their investigations and that some of them will soon be dispatched abroad to comb banks where it was alleged Magu stashed huge sums of money.
However, the sources could not say whether Magu, a Commissioner of Police, is being detained inside a cell at the FCID, Zone 10, Abuja, or given special treatment by keeping him in one of the posh offices there.
At yesterday’s sitting of the panel, a source close to the commission said the panel asked all the directors and sectional heads to submit, within seven days, all files of cases handled by the agency since 2015, as well as forfeited assets and cash releases.
Tough bail situation
On bail, a source told Vanguard yesterday that only the Presidential panel could grant him bail.
Magu’s lawyer, Toni Ojaomo, had said on Tuesday he would seek his client’s bail but the source at police headquarters said since it was not the police that ordered his arrest, the force would also not be involved in his bail.
Recall that Magu is being detained on the ground floor of the Force Criminal Investigations Department, from where he is taken on daily basis to the Presidential Villa where he is being grilled by the Justice Ayo Salami panel.
Vanguard investigations revealed that since Magu was arrested on the orders of the Presidential Panel which complained to the President about Magu’s disregard for its assignment, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, directed the Force Criminal Investigations Department to get him arrested
The source said: “It is not the Force Criminal Investigations Department that is investigating Magu. It is the Presidential panel that is investigating him. It is the Presidential panel that can say if Magu should be granted bail.”
Leadership vacuum
The issue of leadership vacuum festered at the commission’s head office yesterday, as no one is acting for the embattled acting chairman, as there had been no official communication from the Presidency on who should act.
It was learned yesterday that jostling for the leadership of the commission continued yesterday as powerful forces are said to be rooting for FCT Police Commissioner, Bala Ciroma.
Recall that the panel confronted Magu with fresh allegations at Wednesday’s sitting, as he was asked to account for 380 seized houses, seven vessels loaded with crude oil and disposal of assets worth N37 billion.
Allegations against Magu
Some of the allegations made against Magu by the AGF include:
Alleged discrepancies in the reconciliation records of the EFCC and the Federal Ministry of Finance on recovered funds.
Declaration of N539 billion as recovered funds, instead of N504 billion earlier claimed
Insubordination to the Office of the AGF
Alleged late action on the investigation of P&ID, leading to legal dispute
Not respecting court order to unfreeze a N7billion judgement in favour of of a former executive director of a bank
Not providing enough evidence for the extradition of Diezani Alison-Madueke
Alleged delay in acting on two vessels seized by the Navy
Alleged favouring of some investigators called Magu Boys
Reporting some judges to their presiding officers without deferring to the AGF
Alleged sale of seized assets to cronies, associates and friends
Alleged issuance of investigative activities to some media prejudicial to some cases.
(vanguard)
