Leaked Memo! Malami recommends 3 candidates to replace EFCC’s Magu

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), has recommend to President Muhammadu Buhari the sacking of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu.

THISDAY reports that Malami, in a memorandum to the president, based his recommendation on several grounds “raging from diversion of recovered loot to insubordination and misconduct” by Magu.

According to the paper, Malami included a shortlist of three candidates for consideration to replace Magu.

But Magu is fighting back and his supporters within the Presidency say removing Magu at this time when he has given muscle to Buhari’s anti-corruption fight would be a mistake.”

Magu under the spotlight

Sources said given the weight of Malami’s allegations against Magu, the president may be inclined “to set up a probe panel that will look into the veracity of the allegations and make necessary recommendations.”

According to THISDAY, one of the sources at the presidency said: “I can authoritatively tell you that though Magu has survived previous plots to remove him, the AGF’s legal opinion remains the deadliest plot to get Magu out of the EFCC as AGF’s letter to the president contained 22 weighty allegations that require Buhari’s decision on whether or not to send Magu’s name to the Senate for confirmation or replace him….. This is because the office of the AGF is the supervising ministry of the EFCC and so his legal opinion cannot be treated with levity.

“For example, Malami alleged accounting gaps or discrepancies of figures concerning the recovered assets, claiming that Magu was not transparent enough in the management of recovered assets…”

According to the source, Malami claimed that most of the recovered assets by the EFCC were allegedly sold by Magu without the knowledge of anyone.

It will be recalled that many groups and individuals have gone to court to challenge the continued stay of Magu as the acting chairman of the commission after the senate repeatedly refused to confirm his nomination.