Why Magu must comply with AGF order - Buhari’s aide
- The special assistant to the president on prosecutions, Okoi Obono-Obla, insists that Ibrahim Magu must comply with a letter sent to his office by the minister of justice Abubakar Malami
- The presidential aide states that the office of the minister of justice needs case files from the EFCC to enable it carry out its oversight functions
- Okoi Obono-Obla dismisses reports of a clash between Magu and Malami
A presidential aide, Okoi Obono-Obla, has warned that the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, could face consequences for insubordination if he fails to act on the letter written to him by Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice.
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Obono-Obla’s warning was in respect to a letter by written by Abubakar Malami on Tuesday, August 1, requesting Magu to forward to his office the outcome of investigations along with its recommendations on “serious or complex” cases.
Okoi Obono-Obla, who serves as special assistant to the president on prosecutions, told the Punch that the failure by Magu to adhere to the order will attract consequences for “indiscipline and insubordination”.
The aide said the office of the AGF needed the case files to enable it carry out its oversight functions.
He however dismissed suggestions that there was clash between Magu and Malami, noting that all the office of the AGF wanted is compliance with the EFCC (Enforcement) regulations 2010.
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He said: "A letter dated August 1, 2017, was written to the EFCC, urging the commission to comply with the EFCC Enforcement Regulation that was made in 2010. The regulation requires that in any case above N50m, the EFCC must carry along the office of the AGF from investigation to prosecution.
“The letter was about the case files because if the cases are not well prepared, the office of the AGF will be blamed for it. So, the office wants to carry out its oversight function.
“The EFCC cannot be more patriotic than the office of the AGF. Why is it that the EFCC is not cooperating when we are working for the same government?
“If the EFCC refuses to act on the letter, there will be consequences on acts of indiscipline and insubordination.
“There is no personality clash between the two heads. It is wrong to say that there is a clash. The EFCC is an institution and the office of the AGF is another institution. What we need is compliance. We should not personalise our institutions.”
Meanwhile, some EFCC sources have suggested Malami is seeking to take over the prosecution of cases handled by the commission in order to water down the anti-graft war.
This claim was however dismissed by sources at the attorney attorney-general’s office who said Malami was only trying to reassert himself having been persistently sidelined by the anti-graft agencies under his supervision.
In the video below; the EFCC organised a march tagged ‘walk against corruption’ in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Source: Legit.ng
