Magu’s Travail Persists as Presidential Investigation Enters Fourth Week

The travail of Acting Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, persisted yesterday as the presidential investigation of his alleged wrongdoing entered the fourth week with widespread speculation that he might have been suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Although there was no official confirmation of the speculated suspension, a reliable presidency source said last night that the presidential panel has recommended that the anti-graft boss stands down pending the outcome of the investigation.That Magu is on his way out was given credence by an off-the-record briefing yesterday by a top presidential official who said the ongoing investigation of Magu was a bold statement that nobody under the Buhari administration is above the law.

Magu, who was flagged down on Monday in traffic by senior security agents and whisked to the Villa to appear before the presidential panel investigating allegations of corrupt practices levelled against him by the Attorney-General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN, was brought before the panel led by Justice Ayo Salami again on Tuesday.
However, the panel was said to have recommended the suspension of the EFCC chairman to pave the way for his unhindered investigation.

 Malami had in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari detailed alleged cases of malfeasance against Magu, and sought his removal for alleged corruption and insubordination.
Malami anchored his recommendation on several grounds “raging from diversion of recovered loot to insubordination and misconduct” by Magu; while including a shortlist of three candidates for consideration to replace the anti-corruption agency’s boss.The president subsequently constituted the Justice Salami panel to investigate the allegations with a clear mandate to ensure fairness for Magu.

The panel went to work four weeks ago taking evidence on the allegations, and in keeping with the presidential mandate on fairness invited Magu on Monday to confront the weight of evidence against him.The suspension of Magu had been communicated to the anti-corruption agency’s headquarters.

However, the source stated that the next most senior EFCC official next to Magu had been asked to take charge.
But another source said the ongoing investigation of Magu had created a lull in the activities of the agency as no one is currently in charge.

He explained that the seeming leadership vacuum triggered speculations yesterday that Buhari had suspended Magu.
The story might have been conceived by some staff of the commission who thought that its publication would force the hand of the president to do so.

Source: THISDAY Newspaper