Dubai Properties Scandal: EFCC boss evades questions on the subject
Wed Jul 13, 2016 10:08:am National
2.3K By Buchi Obichie
Questions relating to recent calls for a probe of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, for purchasing properties in Dubai worth $1.5m, were quickly evaded on Tuesday, by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
Magu was hit with the questions by journalists, as he departed the Rockview Classic Hotel, in Abuja, venue of a one-day workshop on Anti-corruption, ethics of the legal profession and justice sector.'
The event was co-organised by the Nigerian Bar Association and the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption.
The journalists had approached the EFCC Chairman for an interview, which he obliged to. But he sharply turned back and jumped into his waiting car, as soon as the first question bordering on Buratai was asked.
Incidentally, while speaking earlier at the event, Magu had lamented various corrupt acts including a situation where a civil servant paid as much as over N800m as legal fee to lawyer.
Magu queried how a civil servant could have legitimately earned as much as N800m to pay a lawyer.
The EFCC boss criticized lawyers who assisted their clients in laundering money, and said the anti-graft agency would not spare anyone, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who were found to have helped others to buy properties with stolen funds.
He said, "I don't want to mention some of our strategies, but we will start going after people now. If you are involved in laundering money, we will go after you it doesn't matter who you are because the law does not respect anybody whether you are the EFCC chairman, whether you are SAN.
"Sooner or later we will look at how people assist people to buy properties with stolen funds, how people assist others to escape justice and we will go after them.
"But for now, I want to say, please, join us in the fight against corruption to save this country so that our children and grandchildren will have a greater Nigeria."
A few days ago, President Muhammadu Buhari had been urged by some prominent legal practitioners, including Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, to sack Buratai, if the Army chief failed to voluntarily resign following the revelation that he purchased the Dubai properties.
Magu was hit with the questions by journalists, as he departed the Rockview Classic Hotel, in Abuja, venue of a one-day workshop on Anti-corruption, ethics of the legal profession and justice sector.'
The event was co-organised by the Nigerian Bar Association and the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption.
The journalists had approached the EFCC Chairman for an interview, which he obliged to. But he sharply turned back and jumped into his waiting car, as soon as the first question bordering on Buratai was asked.
Incidentally, while speaking earlier at the event, Magu had lamented various corrupt acts including a situation where a civil servant paid as much as over N800m as legal fee to lawyer.
Magu queried how a civil servant could have legitimately earned as much as N800m to pay a lawyer.
The EFCC boss criticized lawyers who assisted their clients in laundering money, and said the anti-graft agency would not spare anyone, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who were found to have helped others to buy properties with stolen funds.
He said, "I don't want to mention some of our strategies, but we will start going after people now. If you are involved in laundering money, we will go after you it doesn't matter who you are because the law does not respect anybody whether you are the EFCC chairman, whether you are SAN.
"Sooner or later we will look at how people assist people to buy properties with stolen funds, how people assist others to escape justice and we will go after them.
"But for now, I want to say, please, join us in the fight against corruption to save this country so that our children and grandchildren will have a greater Nigeria."
A few days ago, President Muhammadu Buhari had been urged by some prominent legal practitioners, including Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, to sack Buratai, if the Army chief failed to voluntarily resign following the revelation that he purchased the Dubai properties.
Related News
Leave a comment...