Malami replies Magu on request to appear before probe panel

Abubakar Malami

Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami on Wednesday said he would ‘gladly’ testify before the Justice Ayo Salami-led presidential panel investigating the suspended chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Ibrahim Magu if he is summoned.

Mr Malami stated this during an interview on Arise TV in reaction to a letter by Magu asking the panel to summon Malami to prove his allegations against him.

“So, if indeed the Ayo Salami panel invites Abubakar Malami as a person or the AGF in the person of Abubakar Malami for any testimony, for any clarification, for examination or cross-examination for that matter, Abubakar Malami will wholeheartedly, gladly within the spirit and context of the rule of law be there to testify, be there to be cross-examined, be there to be examined within the context of the rule of law,” Malami said.

“Our position as a government is to be submissive to the rule of law and the rule of law component of it requires that when we are called upon to clarify issues, when we are called upon to be examined, when we are called upon to be cross-examined, Abubakar Malami will be there and will gladly cooperate with the inquiry institution and that indeed was an attribute of the government that translated to the victory we are seeing today arising from P&ID.

“Abubakar Malami has along the line, within the chain of the arbitral process, submitted to uncountable invitations, responded to uncountable requests for clarification of issues and indeed executed uncountable witness statements for the purpose of putting the record straight and the case of Salami will certainly not be an exception.”

Magu is being investigated on the advice of Malami for alleged corruption and insubordination.