Sources: CCB preparing charges against Magu over asset declaration ‘breach’
The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) is preparing charges against Ibrahim Magu, former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for allegedly failing to declare his assets, sources have informed TheCable.
This is completely different from the ongoing probe of his tenure at the EFCC by a presidential panel.
A source told TheCable that Magu would be arraigned at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), which handles the cases of public officials who fail to declare their assets.
His lawyer has denied the allegation that he did not declare his assets.
In 2019, the CCB filed a six-count charge of false assets declaration against Walter Onnoghen, former chief justice of Nigeria.
The CCT subsequently convicted him and he was barred from holding any public office for the next 10 years.
In a statement Wahab Shittu, his lawyer, issued on his behalf, Magu described the allegation of not declaring his assets as “gross misrepresentation and blatant falsehood”.
Magu’s travails followed a memo by Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), who accused him of grave malfeasance.
He was arrested and whisked before the panel sitting at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Magu, who was alleged to have mishandled recovered loot and sold seized assets to his associates, was detained at the Area 10 force criminal investigation department in Abuja for 10 days before he was released on bail.
He has maintained innocence, saying forces opposed to his efforts in the fight against corruption are after him.
In 2009, the federal government charged Nuhu Ribadu, pioneer chairman of the EFCC, with non-declaration of assets.
Michael Aondoakaa, former attorney-general of the federation, had filed charges against Ribadu, who failed to appear before the CCT on the grounds that the assets declaration form he submitted to the CCB was not made available to him.
The tribunal eventually struck out the case against Ribadu.
It appears anytime some people in government don’t like a public servant or civil servant and they are desperate to get such people out they accuse them of non declaration of assets. So was it for failure to declare assets that Magu is being treated like a common criminal now? How can we know that those accusing him of non declaration of assets are not doing the same. Well, no one understands it better than the man in the eye of the storm. He said it’s a case of dog eat dog.