TheCable

Ibrahim Magu, suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has asked the presidential panel probing the agency under his watch to release details of the allegations against him.

Magu first appeared before the panel headed by Ayo Salami, retired president of the appeal court, on July 6.

He was detained at force criminal investigation department, area 10, Abuja, for nine days before being granted bail.

In a letter dated August 20, Magu through Wahab Shittu, his counsel, asked the panel to provide details of allegations against his client ahead of his defence.

“Please refer to SECTION 36(6)(A)(B) CFRN 1999 which provides as follows: Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be entitled to be informed promptly in the language that he understands and in details of the nature of the offence,” Shittu wrote.

“Be given adequate time and facility for the preparation of his defence. Based on the foregoing, we request ahead of the defence of our client before this judicial commission of inquiry for the following:

“Copies of all presentations/petitions against our client tendered in these proceedings; access to all exhibits tendered in these proceedings; access to relevant case files and documents tendered in these proceedings; any other materials that will be relevant for purposes of the defence of our client in these proceedings.

“We humbly request you to note that in view of the timeline stipulated above and the need to clarify the duration of the sittings and whether the appointing authority has extended the period, it is of utmost importance that access to the requested documents is granted to our client and his counsel to ensure seamless proceedings and the guarantee of fair hearing as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.”

In July, the suspended EFCC boss had complained of not being officially received a copy of the allegations against him.

Magu’s travails followed a memo by Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, who accused him of “grave malfeasance”.

Magu was alleged to have mishandled recovered loot and sold seized assets to his associates.

He has since denied the allegations.