Buhari receives corruption allegations against Malami

Africa Press-Nigeria:

Anti-corruption groups in Nigeria have submitted corruption allegations against the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Their letter was titled “Compilation of Corruption Allegations and Abuse of Office”.

It was signed by the Chairman, Civil Society Network Against Corruption, Olanrewaju Suraju; Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran; and Co-founder, Say No Campaign, Ezenwa Nwagwu.

The coalition called for the immediate probe of Malami to ensure a full inquiry devoid of interference.

It insisted that there are very strong allegations Malami with clear evidence and urged Buhari to act immediately.

“We have listed these corruption cases after painstaking compilation of high profile corruption cases involving the country’s No 1 law officer. The President must act without delay,” the groups said.

They told Buhari that his action has the prospect of determining the future of the anti-corruption campaign in the country.

The allegations include the alleged auctioning of sea vessels holding crude oil seized by the Federal Government, violating Section 31(2) and (4) of the EFCC Act 2004.

The coalition said Malami also authorized the sale of vessels by companies under EFCC prosecution for similar offence of illegal bunkering.

“This action was admitted by the AGF through his media aide pleading presumption of innocence on the part of the accused, in the case being prosecuted by the Federal Government through EFCC,” the letter read.

The minister was accused of twisting the law to shield his family members, corrupt officials and institutions in the most brazen manners.

The AGF was blamed for the reinstatement of Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, into the Federal Civil Service Commission without due process.

Malami was accused of filing for the discontinuation of a N25billion criminal charge against Senator Danjuma Goje without any justification after over seven years of diligent investigation and prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He was alleged to have withdrawn criminal charges against soldiers accused of killing police officers and a civilian in the bid to aid the escape of billionaire kidnapper, Bala Hamisu, popularly known as Wadume.

The letter recalled that on November 18, 2018, Malami, through a lawyer from his office, Pius Akuta, withdrew a fraud case filed by the EFCC at Lagos High Court against John Abebe, younger brother to late Stella Obasanjo.

It noted that EFCC resisted the illegal move in the case before Justice Mojisola Dada on the ground that the AGF has no constitutional power to take over a case filed in the court.

The coalition cited withdrawal of a criminal case against the Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar; demand for the withdrawal of the cases against Mohammed Bello Adoke, Diezani Alison-Madueke and others involved in the Malabu Oil scandal; suspension of investigation of alleged fraud in Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).