MAGU: Suspended EFCC chairman fingers Aso Rock, ministries, agencies as beneficiaries of recovered loot, publishes evidence; Panel reacts

Former EFCC chairman Ibrahim Magu is still fighting to clear his name, and he’s leaving no stone unturned in the effort to do so.

Still, the odds are not in his favour.

In a recent letter (now in the media” his lawyer presented to the Ayo Salami-led panel investigating him, Magu revealed that the presidency, MDAs, and others are the recipients of the recovered assets at the permanent forfeiture and interim forfeiture stage.

Magu was alleged to have re-looted, according to a petition by the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets. But in his first official, though unsolicited, response to the allegations, Magu laid out his defence, with photographs and other pieces of evidence.

“On allocation of vehicles to some government agencies through special auction with presidential approval, the beneficiary agencies are: the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management of which the valued price is to be debited from their allocation; State House, National Commission for Refugees and Displaced Persons; Federal Inland Revenue Service and National Directorate of Employment,” he stated in a letter by his lawyer Wahab Shittu.

“The commission presently has presidential approval to dispose over 450 forfeited vehicles located in Lagos and Abuja. The vehicles have been valued by the National Automotive Council Valuers and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. But no sale/disposal has been conducted yet.”

According to him, other landed properties permanently forfeited to the federal government have been handed over to some government agencies like the Voice of Nigeria, North -East Development Commission and the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Nigeria Directorate of Employment, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and other agencies.

“Properties under interim forfeiture order are rented by the following government agencies: Nigerian Army, Federal Ministry of Finance, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

“Other agencies of government that have approached the commission to rent properties under interim forfeiture order include: National Human Rights Commission and National Council for Arts and culture,” the letter stated.

The Lagos state government also got a building for use as isolation centre in the thick of the covid-19 pandemic.

Magu initially said he would not repine his ordeal, which has turned President Muhammadu Buhari against him so much so that the anti-graft fighter and his directors were suspended, after he was detained for 10 days as he faced interrogation.

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But his latest response pin-pointing his boss could pass for biting back.

Aso Rock has yet to respond.

Even the investigative panel has reportedly rejected the letter, saying it was uncalled for.