EFCC Lawyer Discredits Maina’s Witness, Says Allegations Against Magu Can’t Be Proven

Mohammed Abubakar, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) in the trial of Abdulrasheed Maina, former
chairman of the Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT), says the
allegations of fraud against Ibrahim Magu cannot be proven.

The first defence witness in the case, Ngozika Ihuoma, had
alleged that Magu, former EFCC acting chairman, misappropriated 222
properties worth N1.63 trillion recovered by the Maina-led
PRTT.

Ihuoma had told the court on Thursday that the properties were
handed over to the EFCC.

He alleged that Magu had sold most of the properties to his
friends and associates.

The witness said a petition written to the attorney-general of
the federation (AGF) led to the setting up of the Ayo Salami-led
judicial commission of inquiry to probe Magu’s activities.

Ihuoma had said: “Magu admitted before Salami that he shared and
allocated most of these properties to most of his friends,
associates, colleagues under some presidential directives but
failed to make available to the commission the evidence of that
presidential directives.”

However, during cross-examination by the EFCC counsel on Friday,
the witness admitted that no document to prove the allegation
against Magu was brought before the court.

“Did you tender in court, the purported petition to the AGF
against Magu and the EFCC that led to the setting up of the
Ayo-Salami panel?” Abubakar asked.

“You did not tender proof that Magu confessed to the
allegations.

“You said that the report of the Ayo-Salami panel indicted Magu
but did not tender the said report submitted to President Muhammadu
Buhari about the activities of the panel.”

Ihuoma answered all the questions asked in the negative.

The witness however insisted that he had documentary evidence
wherein the 222 choice properties recovered by Maina are
listed.

He also stated that there are documents showing that the PRTT
recovered N181 billion within the first 11 months of its
establishment.

Nevertheless, those documents were not tendered as evidence
before the court.

Maina is standing trial for allegedly laundering money to the
tune of N2 billion.

Mohammed Abubakar, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) in the trial of Abdulrasheed Maina, former
chairman of the Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT), says the
allegations of fraud against Ibrahim Magu cannot be proven.

The first defence witness in the case, Ngozika Ihuoma, had
alleged that Magu, former EFCC acting chairman, misappropriated 222
properties worth N1.63 trillion recovered by the Maina-led
PRTT.

Ihuoma had told the court on Thursday that the properties were
handed over to the EFCC.

He alleged that Magu had sold most of the properties to his
friends and associates.

The witness said a petition written to the attorney-general of
the federation (AGF) led to the setting up of the Ayo Salami-led
judicial commission of inquiry to probe Magu’s activities.

Ihuoma had said: “Magu admitted before Salami that he shared and
allocated most of these properties to most of his friends,
associates, colleagues under some presidential directives but
failed to make available to the commission the evidence of that
presidential directives.”

However, during cross-examination by the EFCC counsel on Friday,
the witness admitted that no document to prove the allegation
against Magu was brought before the court.

“Did you tender in court, the purported petition to the AGF
against Magu and the EFCC that led to the setting up of the
Ayo-Salami panel?” Abubakar asked.

“You did not tender proof that Magu confessed to the
allegations.

“You said that the report of the Ayo-Salami panel indicted Magu
but did not tender the said report submitted to President Muhammadu
Buhari about the activities of the panel.”

Ihuoma answered all the questions asked in the negative.

The witness however insisted that he had documentary evidence
wherein the 222 choice properties recovered by Maina are
listed.

He also stated that there are documents showing that the PRTT
recovered N181 billion within the first 11 months of its
establishment.

Nevertheless, those documents were not tendered as evidence
before the court.

Maina is standing trial for allegedly laundering money to the
tune of N2 billion.