EXCLUSIVE: Salami Panel Recommends Magu, Omale, Shanono, Olukoyede For Prosecution

The Justice Ayo Salami Panel which investigated allegations of corruption against suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has recommended that he be prosecuted along with three other alleged accomplices, THE WHISTLER can authoritatively report.

Justice Salami on Friday morning submitted the final report of the panel to President Muhammadu Buhari who promised to implement all recommendations made in the report.

THE WHISTLER has been told that the panel not only dismissed Magu as unfit to continue as EFCC chairman, but also strongly recommended his prosecution along with his spiritualist, Pastor Emmanuel Omale , a bureau de change operator, Ahmed Ibrahim Shanono and the suspended Executive Secretary of the EFCC, Olanipekun Olukoyede, who all allegedly connived with him.

Pastor Omale of the Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry Church and Shanono are accused by the panel of serving as the channels through which Magu received bribes from persons and companies being investigated by the EFCC. Over one billion naira was allegedly received by Magu through the two men.

The recommendations only reinforce the interim report of the panel submitted to Buhari in August, which indicted all the four men.

THE WHISTLER had exclusively reported contents of the interim report which accused Magu of using Pastor Omale and Shanono, a bureau de change operator of using several bank accounts to receive bribe money on behalf of Magu.

The panel had assessed over 150 bank accounts owned by Shanono and Omale and found that they contained various sums of money in both local and foreign currencies (dollar) which were deposited by persons being investigated by the EFCC.

The Salami panel also revealed the identities of eight suspects that allegedly paid the bribes to Magu through Pastor Omale and Shanono. They include China Zhonghao Nigeria Limited, a former Chairman of the Niger State Pilgrims’ Agency, Liman Kantig and a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nathaniel Uyo.

Among companies under EFCC investigations that paid bribes to Magu is A.G Ferrero & CO, a federal government contractor and Apartment Le Paradisi , a company that testified in the case against the former Plateau State Governor, Joshua Dariye.  

While receiving the final report of the panel on Friday, Buhari had promised to implement all the recommendations made to the government, vowing that there were no sacred cows in his administration.

If Buhari keeps to his words as sources believe he would, Magu and co may soon have their days in court.