Sagay Panel Accuses Malami Of Aborting High-Profile Criminal Cases

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Sagay Panel Accuses Malami Of Aborting High-Profile Criminal Cases

The Prof. Itse Sagay-led Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, on Wednesday, accused the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), of having well-known proclivity for aborting high-profile criminal cases in favour of major political and governmental figures.

The PACAC, in a statement signed by Sagay, and released by the Communications Unit of the committee, said this while reacting to the proposed bill for the amendment of the establishment Act of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

While arguing that the proposed amendment of the Act was part of “an ongoing very sinister and dangerous attempt to demolish the anti-corruption infrastructure of Nigeria and return it to the situation it was in during the dark days before 2015,” the panel urged Nigerians and the National Assembly to reject it.

Sagay added that those behind it “are the representatives of the corrupt establishment that brought this country to its knees and subjected us to humiliation as a result of an extremely negative reputation internationally.”

The controversial bill seeks to weaken the EFCC and its officials, and confer an enormous power of control of the anti-graft agency on the office of the AGF.

Although Sagay did not mention Malami as the sponsor of the controversial bill, he tackled the minister for what he described as his proclivity for aborting criminal cases in favour of major political and governmental figures.

He noted that the draft bill, which intended to repeal the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004, was being sponsored by those who were “too ashamed to put their names to the draft bill being circulated.”

Malami, whose memo to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), triggered the ongoing probe of the suspended acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, by the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel over various allegations of corruption, abuse of office, and insubordination, has been linked to the controversial bill in the media.

The minister has neither denied nor confirmed the rumours.