Magu: Why I declined to appear before Salami Panel — Malami

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN) has disclosed 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.

The AGF revealed this in a statement on Thursday through his spokesman, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu.

“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 the same within the constitutional provisions,” the statement said.

“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 statement further noted that 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 a supervisory role.

“In the case of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been discharging the role effectively”, the statement added. (Channels TV)