Magu Probe: Malami reacts to allegation of conspiring to witch-hunt

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has denied an allegation made by one, Victor Giwa, Esq accusing him of conniving with one Donald Wokoma to witch-hunt the lawyer over what he termed as “his refusal to testify against Ibrahim Magu”.

Abubakar Malami said there has never been a time he requested anybody to witch-hunt Ibrahim Magu at the ongoing retired Justice Ayo Sami-Led Presidential Panel probing the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.

This was contained in a statement on Monday by Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Dr Umar Jibrilu Gwandu.

Solacebase reports that an Abuja-based lawyer, Victor Giwa, had accused  Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, of conspiring with one Donald Wokoma, a former Special Adviser to Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, to witch-hunt him over his refusal to testify against the suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Giwa was last Wednesday arrested while testifying before the retired Justice Ayo Salami-led Presidential Panel inside Aso Villa in the ongoing probe of Magu.

He was arrested alongside another lawyer, Fatima Hassan.

The two Lawyers were on Thursday granted bail from EFCC custody after they were asked to produce a level 12 officer of the federal service as surety.

In a statement on Sunday, Giwa alleged that both Malami and Wokoma had made a desperate move to lure him to nail the suspended Acting EFCC Chairman.

The statement said the Minister of Justice never met Giwa and has never discussed any issue with the so-called Donald Wokoma nor asked anybody, personally or by proxy, to engage the so-called Victor to testify against Ibrahim Magu.

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‘’The Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation who has not set up the investigation panel to probe Magu is not saddled with any responsibility to procure witness(es) for the panel, ‘’said the statement.

The statement read: ‘’The Attorney-General of the Federation is never a member of the panel nor does it fall within the realm of the AGF’s authority to invite witness(es) for a presidential probe panel.

‘’The claim by Victor Giwa, Esq is therefore fictitious, unfounded and a figment of the imagination of mischief makers who want to create unnecessary attention and tarnish the good image of the Attorney-general of the Federation and Minister of Justice and labouring incessantly, these days, to falsely cast aspersion on the AGF’s hard-earned reputation.’’

According to the statement, the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation hereby called the so-called Victor Giwa to come and substantiate his allegation with details of  When did Victor Giwa meet the AGF on the issue? Where did Victor Giwa meet the AGF on the issue? How was the meeting?  Was it by proxy? Or the AGF sent a representative? In what capacity was the representative, if any?

The statement also demanded, What were the terms of their engagement? What was the claimed “offer”? How was the so-called offer to testify against Magu made? And Who were the witnesses?