Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Thursday said ‘constitutional consideration’ informed his refusal to honour the invitation by Justice Ayo Salami panel, which is probing the suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Malami stated this in a statement by his spokesperson, Dr. Umar Gwandu.
According to him, the wordings of the invitation extended to him were unconstitutional.
Magu had applied to the Salami panel to issue a subpoena inviting Malami, whose memo to President Muhammadu Buhari led to the setting up of the panel.
Magu wanted Malami to testify, tender documents and be cross-examined by the panel.
Malami, who had earlier said he would be glad honour an invitation by the Salami panel, however failed to appear.
Explaining why Malami refused to appear before the panel, the statement said, “Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has said that his non-appearance at Justice Ayo Salami Panel of Inquiry probing the suspended chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, was purely constitutional and not based on any ulterior motive.
“Inviting the AGF “to serve as a witness in any investigation should be a constitutional matter.
“In establishing propriety or otherwise of the presence of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, whose responsibility is to hold constitutional order, one must root same within the constitutional provisions.
“The terms and wordings of invitation extended to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice by Justice Ayo (Salami) panel of inquiry against Magu runs contrary to the Constitutional provisions.”
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