Okoi
Obono-Obla, special assistant to the president on prosecutions, says there will
be
consequences if Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC), fails to act on the letter written to him by Abubakar
Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice.
TheCable had
reported that the AGF, in a letter dated August 1, ordered Magu to forward
to his office the outcome of investigations along with its recommendations on
“serious or complex” cases.
The letter
is said to be a follow-up to one written to the commission in July 2016, also
requesting for the files of indicted former governors and senators.
In an
interview with PUNCH, Obono-Obla warned that Magu’s refusal to obey the AGF’s
order will bring about consequences for “indiscipline and insubordination”.
He said the
office of the AGF requested the case files to enable it carry out its oversight
functions.
He also
refuted the claims that there is a personality clash between the AGF and Magu.
“A letter
dated August 1, 2017, was written to the EFCC, urging the commission to comply
with the EFCC Enforcement Regulation that was made in 2010. The regulation
requires that in any case above N50m, the EFCC must carry along the office of
the AGF from investigation to prosecution,” he said.
“The letter
was about the case files because if the cases are not well prepared, the office
of the AGF will be blamed for it. So, the office wants to carry out its
oversight function.
“The EFCC
cannot be more patriotic than the office of the AGF. Why is it that the EFCC is
not cooperating when we are working for the same government?
“If the EFCC
refuses to act on the letter, there will be consequences on acts of
indiscipline and insubordination.
“There is no
personality clash between the two heads. It is wrong to say that there is a
clash. The EFCC is an institution and the office of the AGF is another
institution. What we need is compliance. We should not personalise our
institutions.”
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