The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Thursday, revealed why he snubbed an invitation extended to him by the presidential panel probing the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, for alleged malfeasance.
Magu had asked the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel to invite the AGF, whose petition forced President Muhammadu Buhari to set up the panel, to appear and testify on the allegations against him.
Malami had also promised to honour the panel’s invitation when he is summoned on the matter.
However, in a statement issued by his media aide, Dr. Umar Gwandu, the AGF said his refusal to appear before the panel was based on constitutional consideration.
He argued that the wordings of the panel’s invitation run contrary to the constitutional provisions.
The statement read: “The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has said that his non-appearance at Justice Ayo Salami Panel of Inquiry probing the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, was purely Constitutional and not based on any ulterior motive.”
“In establishing propriety or otherwise of the presence of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice whose responsibility is to hold constitutional order one must root same within the constitutional provisions.
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“The terms and wordings of the invitation extended to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to Justice Ayo Panel of inquiry against Magu run contrary to the Constitutional provisions.
“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is by the provision of the Constitution and extant laws empowered to serve supervisory role. In the case of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been discharging the role effectively.”
