The Rainbow
Embattled former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has written to Justice Ayo Salami, Chairman of the Presidential panel probing the commission debunking various media reports accusing him of sundry crimes.
Magu in the letter written by his counsel, Wahab Shittu, said that he ‘strongly denied’ the allegations.
“Please be advised that the attention of our client has been drawn to serial falsehood publications in the media in respect of matters which never featured in the proceedings of this Honourable Panel,” the lawyer wrote in the letter.
He also dismissed as absolute falsehood the alleged reports that he paid out money to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo(SAN) and Femi Falana(SAN).
Magu in the letter by his lawyer said, “Our client strongly denies this falsehood against the respected Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Our client has never given the sum of N4billion or any sum at all to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, GCON, Vice President of Federal Republic of Nigeria as wrongly reported. This allegation is complete falsehood designed to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the Vice President and our client.”
“Our client never gave N28 million or any amount to Mr Femi Falana SAN as maliciously reported. Our client also denies any link with a Kaduna-based Bureau De Change Operator as alleged,” the letter further stated.
On the widely reported ownership of $573 million Dubai properties, the letter said, “This allegation is outright falsehood and is denied by our client in unmistakable terms. It is instructive to state that the General Overseer of Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministries, Prophet Emmanuel Omale, in a pre-litigation letter addressed to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday 13th July, 2020, denied the allegations that he bought a property in Dubai worth N573 million on behalf of our client.
“Our client challenges his accusers to provide details of such property and proof of ownership by our client. Instructively, The PUNCH at Page 8 of Tuesday July 14th, 2020 had published the denial of Prophet Emmanuel.”
Read the text of Magu’s letter (obtained by Newsdiaryonline) below:
THE CHAIRMAN,
The Presidential Investigation Committee
On The Alleged Mismanagement Of
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
Federal Government Recovered Assets and Finances
From May 2015 to May 2020.
Attention: Hon Justice Isa Ayo Salami (Rtd)
Gentlemen:
PUBLICATIONS PREJUDICIAL TO THE PROCEEDINGS OF THIS HONOURABLE PANEL
We act as Counsel of Choice to Mr Ibrahim Mustafa Magu, the suspended Acting Chairman of the EFCC hereinafter referred to as “Our Client” and on whose behalf and specific instructions we write as follows:
This is a follow-up to our letter dated 10th July, 2020 on behalf of our client.
Please be advised that the attention of our client has been drawn to serial falsehood publications in the media in respect of matters which never featured in the proceedings of this Honourable Panel.
These falsehood publications being orchestrated in the media include the following:
- NFIU SUBMITS REPORT ON MAGU’S FOREX TRANSACTIONS TO PANEL (SEE THE PUNCH OF TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020)
This report was published in The PUNCH on Tuesday July 14, 2020.
Our client states categorically that he has not been confronted on alleged illegal transactions and no such report was tendered by NFIU in any proceedings before this panel involving him till date.
Our client states categorically that the maximum forex transactions he has been involved in is the sum of $10,000 (Ten Thousand Dollars) till date.
Our client also wishes to place on record that he has no link with Kaduna-based Bureau De Change Operator as erroneously reported in the publication. - ALLEGED N573 MILLION NAIRA DUBAI PROPERTY LINKED TO MAGU
This allegation is outright falsehood and is denied by our client in unmistakable terms. It is instructive to state that the General Overseer of Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministries, Prophet Emmanuel Omale, in a pre-litigation letter addressed to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday 13th July, 2020, denied the allegations that he bought a property in Dubai worth N573 million on behalf of our client. Our client challenges his accusers to provide details of such property and proof of ownership by our client. Instructively, The PUNCH at Page 8 of Tuesday July 14th, 2020 had published the denial of Prophet Emmanuel
