AGF denies media report he stalled corrupt case against former Katsina governor, others

ABIODUN JIMOH, BENIN CITY

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has denied media report alleging that he stalled corrupt case against former Katsina governor, and three other officials.

It could be recalled that an online publication by the Premium Times in its edition of November 27, 2018 reported that the Katsina State High Court has terminated the trial of three former officials of the state government charged with misappropriating over N5.7 billion SURE-P funds because of the AGF, Malami, failure to hand over the case file to the prosecution.

In a statement made available to Daily Dispatch Newspaper by Comrade Salihu Othman Isah, Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice described the report as not only malicious and odious, but an attempt by the publication to continue on its avowed insistence to tarnish the image and reputation of the Minister and the AGF Chamber.

He stated that the write-up which has the elements of a hatchet job to disparage the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice misrepresented the role played by him on the matter in its entirety.

He added that the truth of the matter was that, contrary to the report, The Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in response to the letter of the Katsina State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice with reference number DPPA/REQ/510/18 dated 29th November, 2018 and titled, Re: Request for case file from Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in respect of charges nos. KTH/9C/2017-FRN vs Alhaji Abdulaziz Abdullahi Shinkafi and one other and KTH/SC/2017-FRN vs Nasiru Ingawa and one other.

“The Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Umar Etsu had written and directed to inform that after a careful study of the request, it was the directive of the AGF that the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Commission (ICPC) be allowed to continue the prosecution of the case.

He referred to the letter by the Katsina State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Ahmad Usman Muhammad El-Marzuq reference number MOJ/KT/CON.10/VOL.1/142 titled as above was dated 28/08/2018 for which a reminder dated 30th October, 2018 was sent to the AGF/MOJ. State inter alia:

The letter quoted: “To further seek for the intervention of AGF office to facilitate the release of the case files, in respect of the above mentioned cases, to him, by the ICPC for the reasons stated in our earlier letter reference NO. MOJ/KT/CON.10/VOL… of 20th March, 2017, that is to say, to enable the him (sic) to discontinue criminal proceedings against the accused persons and turn them to state witnesses in respect of charge NO. FHC/KT/26C/2017 FRN VS Ibrahim Shehu Shema (Copy attached).

“I also wish to request you to grant your fiat to me to discontinue criminal proceedings against the accused persons in the charges before the High Court of Justice, Katsina State as the patience of the court has been exhausted by our persistent requests for the adjournments of the cases, to enable me get the case files as well as your fiat based on clause (2)(c) of your fiat dated 7th July, 2017 (copy attached). The High Court is threatening to strike out the cases for want of diligent prosecution.”

The letter continued: “Consequently, and in view of the above, the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice note the seeming rabid desire by a cross section of the media to tarnish the image and reputation of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

“The Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice therefore calls on Premium Times to retract the portion of its story which misrepresented the role played by the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation’s Chamber, and to publicly tender an unreserved apology to it through the same medium within 48 hours after the publication of this press release.

“You are advised to tow the line of wisdom to put records in its proper perspective; as no amount of blackmail or subterranean illusion can obliterate the patriotic zeal of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.”