Magu to open defence before Salami panel today

AFTER waiting for a copy of the allegations against him, the Presidential Investigation Committee on the activities of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday agreed to give  the suspended Acting Chairman of the agency Mr. Ibrahim Magu a report to enter his Defence.

The report is that of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets( PCARA), which contains all allegations against Magu.

But the Chairman of the panel, Justice Isa Ayo Salami extracted a commitment from the counsel to Magu, Barrister Wahab Shittu that PCARA’s report will not be leaked to the press.

Magu, who said all the allegations against him were false, is expected to open his defence today.

The suspended EFCC chairman was at the panel’s venue for about eight hours but he had a brief encounter with the team

Wearing a white Kaftan with a white cap to match, the suspended EFCC chairman took a 78-page response to the committee, bordering on a query by the AGF, PCARA’s report and other allegations in public domain.

The committee however  said it may accept  Magu’s response only after serving him the issues in PCARA’s report.

A top source said: “After waiting for hours, the panel met with Magu for a few minutes. The committee later decided to make a  copy of the PCARA report available to Magu to enable him to address all the allegations against him.