Mr Wahab Shittu, the lawyer for the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Ibrahim Magu, has written the Justice Ayo Salami-led Judicial Commission of Inquiry, accusing the panel of acts of illegalities and violations of his client’s right to fair hearing.
The letter, dated August 11, 2020, was addressed to the Chairman of the panel which is probing Magu for alleged abuse of office and mismanagement of Federal Government recovered assets and finances from May 2015 to May 2020.
Shittu’s letter came on the heels of a previous ones asking the panel to serve his clients with the complaints against him.
He alleged in the fresh letter that the panel’s proceedings had been conducted in violation of not only the presidential instrument appointing it, but also the Tribunal of Inqury Act, 2004, which empowers the President to set up the JCI.
He said it was “curious and worrisome” that the panel led by Salami which started as an administrative panel of inquiry taking oral and documentary evidence in the past one month suddenly metamorphosed into a Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
“How this comes within the contemplation of a Commission of the Tribunal of Inquiry Act 2004 is very questionable,” he added.
The lawyer also expressed concern that despite his client being the principal subject matter of the proceedings, he was not formally invited to appear before the panel and that the instrument appointing the JCI which was signed on July 3, 2020, by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), was not served on him until 35 days after.
Shittu said aside barring the public from its proceedings, the suspended chairman of EFCC along with his lawyer was excluded from the proceedings of the panel on numerous occasions, particularly, the July 11, 12 and 13, 2020 proceedings.
He added that the panel appointed on July 3, 2020 had started sitting when Magu was brought before it on July 6.
Shittu stated, “In summary, we have concerns regarding the legality of the honourable tribunal.”
