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  • News - Crime
  • Updated: August 06, 2020

EFCC Probe: Presidential Panel Turns Down Magu's Request

EFCC Probe: Presidential Panel Turns Down Magu's Request

The Ayo Salami led Presidential Investigation Committee for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has rejected the request by the suspended Acting Chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Magu, seeking a copy of the video recording taken during his trial with the committee.

Turning down Magu's request, the panel chairman, Salami, who pledged fair hearing to all parties appearing before it, clarified that Magu was not on trial as the committee is only on a fact-finding mission.

A source who spoke with newsmen revealed that Magu who appeared before the investigation committee on Wednesday had alleged that some sessions involving him and a few others were videotaped and requested that he be handed copies of the tapes from the past few weeks.

"The panel has not been comfortable with some representations on its activities and following Magu’s demand, it decided to make some clarifications for the benefit of the public.

“In his usual characteristic of being soft spoken and sincere, His Lordship Hon Justice Isa Ayo Salami said he and the other members of the committee are not conducting trial or enquiry on Mr. Ibrahim Magu or the EFCC

“He insisted that this is not a panel but a committee saddled only with investigation. The committee undertakes to guarantee fair hearing to Magu and all those appearing before it in its fact-finding exercise," the source said 

Another source who explained why the panel could not grant Magu access to the video recording said:

“That the request of Mr. Magu for the video recordings of the proceedings cannot be granted because the previous recordings of the proceedings at the beginning were unauthorised by the investigation committee.

“The committee said it does not know the purpose such recordings would serve.

“Justice Salami also said the venue of the sitting of the committee is temporarily making it impossible to install video recording equipment as requested by Magu. “Even the superior courts of records do not have video recording facilities and lack of such facilities does not infringe on fair hearing.”

Over the past few weeks, Magu had been appearing before the presidential panel to answer questions on allegations of corruption and insubordination levelled against him by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice,  Abubakar Abubakar Malami.

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