The Economic Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has denied the allegation laid against its former boss, Ibrahim Magus, indicting him of misappropriation of 222 properties worth 222 worth N1.63trn, which was recovered during the Abdulrasheed Maina-Led Pension Reformed Task Team.
Mohammed Abubakar, counsel to the EFCC, said the accusation made by one Ngozika Ihuoma has no bearing and cannot be proven.
Ihuoma, the first defense witness in the trial of Maina for an alleged N2bn fraud, accused the former EFCC boss in her testimony defending Maina in the court.
The witness, Ihuoma, stated that the properties were given to EFCC but were later sold by Magu to his associates.
Ihuoma further disclosed that the written petition to the Attorney General of the Federation led to the setting up of the Ayo Salami-led judicial commission of inquiry, which investigated Magu for alleged corruption and abuse of office.
Ihuoma had said, “Magu admitted before Salami that he shared and allocated most of these properties to most of his friends, associates, colleagues under some presidential directives but failed to make available to the commission the evidence of that presidential directives.”
However, during cross-examination by the EFCC counsel on Friday, the witness admitted that no document to prove the allegation against Magu was brought before the court.
The witness, however, could not provide the court with relevant documents to prove her claims against Magu during cross-examination by the commission’s counsel.
“Did you tender in court the purported petition to the AGF against Magu and the EFCC that led to the setting up of the Ayo Salami panel? You did not tender proof that Magu confessed to the allegations. You said that the report of the Ayo Salami panel indicted Magu but did not tender the said report submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari about the activities of the panel,” Abubakar said.
Maina is under trial for an alleged money laundering worth N2bn.
