– EFCC boss Magu may be imprisoned over flouting the court order
– Abuja court demanded Magu to release Austrian security expert, Wolgang Reinl from ‘unlawful’ detention
Ibrahim Magu (R)
The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu is facing imprisonment for alleged disobedience to court order, The Guardian reports.
A contempt charge has been filed against Magu over flouting a court order by Justice Peter Affen of the Abuja High Court asking that Austrian security expert, Wolgang Reinl, be released from “unlawful” custody.
The charge is asking Nigeria’s anti-graft boss to show reason why he should not be committed to jail for the crime.
Justice Affen had directed EFCC to immediately release the international passport, cheque books, mobile phones and other belongings to the foreign businessman which were ‘unlawfully’ seized since December 2015 when his Abuja residence was raided by operatives of the agency.
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The contempt charge reads in part: “Take notice that the applicant will apply to this court for an order for your committal to prison for having disobeyed the order of this court as made by Honourable Justice Peter Affen of the FCT High Court in Abuja on April 20, 2016 requiring you to release forthwith the applicant’s international passport seized or confiscated in the wake of his arrest and detention and delist him from your watch list or No-Fly list.
“And also, for your failure to obey the order of the court requiring you to pay the applicant the sum of N10 million as compensatory damages for the violation of his fundamental rights to dignity of human person and personal liberty.”
The court had similarly held that the imprisonment of the plaintiff for over a month was illegal, unconstitutional and established a gross violation of the his fundamental right to dignity as enshrined in Section 34 and 35 and 43 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
President Muhammadu Buhari was elected last on the promises to fight corruption and the insurgency.
Since his inauguration on May 29, 2015, he launched a fierce campaign against corruption and arrested several top politicians of the previous government.
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On November 9, 2015, the president appointed Ibrahim Magu to lead his fight against graft.
President Buhari is currently in London for anti-corruption summit hosted by the British Prime Minister David Cameron.
The post Unbelievable! Read why Buhari’s anti-corruption boss may be arrested appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read on NAIJ.COM (Nigerian newspapers).