Tinubu’s Probe: Malami, EFCC Disagree

By James Orji

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has reopened the case file of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a stalwart of the ruling All progressives Congress, APC few months after the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami said his office will not probe the former governor of Lagos state.

Malami supervises the EFCC, in his position as the nation’s chief law officer, and it is believed that the commission cannot prosecute Tinubu without his consent.

Abdulrasheed Bawa, the chairman of the commision said in Abuja on Monday that the anti-graft agency is investigating Tinubu who doubles as the National Leader of the APC, contrary to suggestions that the corruption case against him has been closed.

Malami, had in March said the former Lagos helmsman is not under probe, a situation which led to suggestions that the federal government may have decided not to press ahead with the prosecution of the APC chieftain on corruption related matters.

But speaking on the politician yesterday, Bawa said the commission is still investigating the former Governor and will prosecute him at the right time, noting that EFCC will not embark on a media trial of the politician.

According to Bawa “Investigation is ongoing” in the case of the former governor Tinubu, and “when you are investigating matters like this, they don’t end in a day. Thousands of investigations are going on, on a daily basis. You understand? You know you are from the media. After you will say we are doing a media trial.”

The EFCC Chairman made the disclosure barely two days after Dapo Apara, a former close associate of the former governor and erstwhile Managing Director of Alpha Beta, a tax consulting firm believed to be owned by the politician filed a suit before a Lagos State High Court asking it to stop Tinubu, from controlling the finances of the company.

In the suit filed by Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN on behalf of Apara the former Alpha Beta boss MD alleged that Tinubu controls the firm, which he said monitors and generates revenue on behalf of the Lagos State Government.

Joined in the suits, as defendants, are Alpha Beta and the current Managing Director, Akin Doherty who is also a former Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State.

Among other reliefs, Apara is asking the court to declare that “that the 2nd defendant (Tinubu), not being a named partner of the 1st defendant (Alpha Beta), is not entitled to direct or influence the affairs of the 1st defendant in such a way that will deprive the claimant (Apara) of his profits and entitlements from the 1st defendant.”

The Minister of Justice, three months ago said his office has not asked any agency to investigate the APC chieftain, noting however, that he will not stop the anti-graft agencies from doing their job if they decide to probe the former governor.

Malami said “The Office of the AGF, as you rightly know, has not taken any decision, has not filed or instituted any action before any court in the land relating to Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“But then, within the context of the law as you rightly know, the EFCC and the Code of Conduct are all statutory bodies vested with statutory powers to act within the context of the law establishing them.

“So, I am not in a position to give you a precise answer and I will suggest to you that you may consider inviting the chairman of EFCC or perhaps the chairman of Code of Conduct for elaborate answers associated with those charges if any has been filed by those agencies.

“The Office of the AGF and its arm, which is the Director of Public Prosecutions, has not initiated any proceedings and no investigation has been instituted at its instance by any agency of government be it EFCC or the Code of Conduct Bureau,” the AGF said.