The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said the allegation levelled against its former acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, that he misappropriated 222 properties worth N1.63tn recovered by the Abdulrasheed Maina-led Pension Reformed Task Team is unfounded.
Counsel for the EFCC, Mohammed Abubakar, said the allegation made by one Ngozika Ihuoma could not be proved.
Ihuoma, who is the first defence witness in the trial of Maina for N2bn fraud, had made the allegation during his testimony in Maina’s defence before the court two days ago.
Ihuoma, who claimed to be a business consultant, had told the court, two days ago, that the properties were handed over to the EFCC and sold by Magu to his friends and associates.
The witness said a petition written to the Attorney General of the Federation led to the setting up of the Ayo Salami-led judicial commission of inquiry which probed Magu for allegation of corruption and abuse of office.
Ihuoma had said, “Magu admitted before Salami that he shared and allocated most of these properties to most of his friends, associates, colleagues under some presidential directives but failed to make available to the commission the evidence of that presidential directives.”
However, during cross-examination by the EFCC counsel yesterday, the witness could not substantiate his claim.
Ngozika, however, admitted that no document to prove the allegation against Magu was brought before the court.
“Did you tender in court the purported petition to the AGF against Magu and the EFCC that led to the setting up of the Ayo Salami panel? You did not tender proof that Magu confessed to the allegations. You said that the report of the Ayo Salami panel indicted Magu but did not tender the said report submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari about the activities of the panel,” Abubakar said.
The embattled former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, is standing trial for allegedly laundering money to the tune of N2bn.
