By Akinwale Kasali
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has requested for more time before he could release files containing corruption charges against former Senator Dino Melaye and other Corruption Cases.
The Civil Society Network Against Corruption, (CSNAC) had tackled the Justice Minister, accusing him of scuttling the trial of the former Senator allegedly linked with a string of sleaze both at home and abroad.
In a letter addressed to the Chairman of CSNAC, Olanrewaju Suraju, and made available to the media, Malami requested for an extension of time to study the request for the release of the case files.
Melaye who represented Kogi West was accused of using fictitious names to run series of foreign accounts contrary to the regulations of the Nigerian Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB)
In several letters written by CSNAC, the group demanded for the files said to have earlier been retrieved from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) by Malami, thereby frustrating efforts to bring the lawmaker to justice.
In the letter signed by State Counsel, Nafisat Negi Ibrahim, the Minister said that in view of the nature of the request, the Ministry of Justice demands an extension of time to enable it respond to the request in line with Section 6 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011.
On Sunday, September 6th, 2020, CSNAC said the request of the Minister for more time to produce the file was “confusing.”
The group said ” We have received response from the Justice Minister. The language is similar to responses in the past. It is a case that will be pursued to its logical end until the files are released and Senator Malaye brought to book”
Suraju said the Melaye trial remains one of the striking cases of corruption that raises suspicions of state complicity indicating an attempt to cover up a high profile case.
According the group, “The minister, who recently accused the suspended Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, of delaying investigation in a complex matter of P&ID In less than one year of investigation will have no Justification for holding a file involving a concluded investigation for almost 3 years”.
On 16th of May, 2018, the anti-corruption group had requested for update on the petition on the matter and got a response from the CCB dated May 22, 2018 stating the transfer of the case file on the request of the Attorney General from the Bureau to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
Again on 13th March, 2020 a request for an update on the matter was submitted to CCB with another reminder in another later dated August 07, 2020.
The Ministry admitted taking over the case file by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
The file contained allegations that Senator Dino Melaye was operating foreign bank accounts but that the file had been taken away from the Bureau to the office of the Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice in response to the request from the Attorney General vide a letter with reference number DPPA/REO/686/17 dated January 5, 2018.
