Magu’s EFCC Frustrating Corruption War – Justice Minister

BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, has taken a swipe at the Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu and the agency, accusing him of deliberately frustrating the Federal Government’s anti-graft war.

In a strongly worded statement issued in Abuja, Malami said the EFCC boss, Magu has used the Agency to manipulate and misuse intelligence to the detriment of the fight against corruption and financial crimes in Nigeria.

Malami also accused the EFCC and Magu, in particular, of working to prevent the lifting of Nigeria’s suspension by the Global Financial Intelligence gathering body – Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units (Egmont Group) with a view to ensure the country’s formal expulsion from the global body.

The Egmont Group, with 156 Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), representing 156 countries, serves as a platform for exchange of expertise and financial intelligence to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and also functions as the operational arm of the international anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) apparatus.

Nigeria, represented in the group by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), was suspended on June 1, 2007 owing to its lack of independence being subjected to EFCC’s control as stipulated in Section 1(2)(c) of the EFCC Act.

Accordingly, the Egmont Group has insisted on autonomy for the NFIU as a condition for the country’s re-admission, failing which it would be faced with expulsion.

The AGF and the EFCC boss have not been able to reach a common ground on ways and means of meeting conditions set by the Egmont Group for Nigeria’s re-admission.

While Malami is desirous to have an autonomous NFIU, detached from the EFCC, having already sent a Bill to the National Assembly to that effect, Magu on the other hand, is insisting on the NFIU remaining a part and parcel of the EFCC, but with some re-organisation of its operations.

Malami, in a statement signed by his spokesman, Salihu Othman Isah, frowned at the EFCC’s boss hard stance on the issue, stressing that his (Magu) uncooperative attitude could encourage the Egmont Group to carry out its threat to expel the country.

The AGF expressed regret that Magu appeared not to understand the implication of Nigeria’s expulsion from the group on government’s efforts to combat corruption, terrorism, money laundering and other related vices.