Dino Melaye: AGF Malami demands for more time to release corruption file

 

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has requested for more time before he could release files containing corruption charges against former Senator, Dino Melaye.

This comes after the Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) had queried the Justice Minister accused of scuttling the trial of the former Senator.

In a letter addressed to the Chairman CSNAC, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, Malami requested for an extension of time to study the request for the release of the case file.

Melaye who represented Kogi West was accused of using fictitious names to run series of foreign accounts contrary to the regulations of the Nigerian Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB)

In several letters written by CSNAC the group demanded for the file said to have earlier been retrieved from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) by Malami thereby frustrating efforts to bring the lawmaker to justice.

In the letter signed by State Counsel, Nafisat Negi Ibrahim, the Minister said that in view of the nature of the request the Ministry of Justice demands an extension of time to enable it respond to the request in line with Section 6 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011.

But on Sunday, CSNAC said the request of the Minister for more time to produce the file was “confusing.”

“We have received response from the Justice Minister. The language is similar to responses in the past. It’s a case that will be pursued to its logical end until the files are released and Senator Malaye brought to book,” the group said.

According to the group, the file – which contained allegations that Senator Dino Melaye was operating foreign bank accounts –  had been taken away from the Bureau to the office of the Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice in response to the request from the Attorney General vide a letter with reference number DPPA/REO/686/17 dated January 5, 2018.