A CIVIL society organization (CSO), the Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN), has urged the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to stop attending the sittings of the Justice Isa Ayo Salami-led presidential panel investigating allegations of corruption against the suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.
The group said Malami’s appearance before the panel as a witness could negatively affect the outcome of the panel’s efforts.
GICN’s Executive Director Edward Omaga said the AGF’s appearance before the panel would compromise his constitutional duty.
Omaga added: “There were reports that Mr. Malami is to appear as a witness before the panel. And, like we rightly stated earlier, we at GICN want the members of the panel to be allowed to use their own wisdom in discharging their mandate without being tele-guided by people who are supposed to be busy defending themselves by responding to allegations made against them.
“Already, the panel has gathered evidence which is enough to do substantial justice. In case those calling on the AGF to appear the before the panel do not know, the AGF has been playing a supervisory role on the EFCC and we make bold to say that the number one chief law officer of the country has played this role creditably well, so there is no need to have him as witness before the panel.
“We at GICN also need to remind them that after the completion of the sitting of the panel, the report of the panel would be sent to President Muhammadu Buhari, who will in turn seek the legal view of the AGF, so, if he is invited to be a witness before the panel, he would be deprived from offering his constitutionally recognized legal view when sort, having appeared as a witness at the panel.”
