By Adesina Soyooye
Aliyu Lemu, a Counsel to the suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, has decried what he called the unfair treatment being given to his client by the Presidential Investigation Panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate Magu.
Aliyu lamented that not only has the Panel been unfair to Magu, it has, also, disobeyed Presidential orders.
The Counsel spoke Monday evening on a Channels Television program, Politics Today, anchored by Seun Okinbaloye.
The seven- man Panel headed by a retired President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Ayo Salami, has been investigating Magu’s tenure at the EFCC.
The impression given, even by the Presidency, was that it was just an Investigative Panel. But it surfaced on Sunday evening that it was indeed, a Judicial Panel of Inquiry.
In a letter dated July the 3rd, the President had given the Panel, Judicial powers, meaning, more powers than was thought.
The President, also, asked it to hold public hearing on the activities of the EFCC under Magu from 2015, and submit its findings within 45 days.’
Lamenting the situation, Aliyu said he was surprised that the Panel disobeyed the President by sitting inside the Villa, away from the prying eyes of members of the public and, especially, the Media. Why is the Panel doing that?, he asked, and why don’t they want the Media? A transparent panel should be covered by the Media, he reasoned. The Media should be given access, he submitted.
He, also, revealed that till date, his Client, has not been given a copy of the allegations against him, or any of the petitions.
He, however, revealed that his Client was given a copy of the Terms of Reference of the Panel only on the 8th of August.
Describing the situation as unfair, Aliyu said, the Panel has been busy, taken evidence from persons under investigation by the EFCC. He dismissed such evidence as prejudicial.
Speculation is that considering the 45 days given the Panel within which to submit its findings, it is likely to submit it by next week.
The Judicial Panel had Magu arrested on July the 6th. He was detsined for nine days.Since then, he has been on suspension from office. It was, allegedly, instigated by a petition to the President against Magu, written by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.
