Information reaching 247ureports.com from sources close to the activities within the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Accountant General reveals that there appear more information yet to be made public concerning the recent arrest of the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris on May 16, 2023 by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] in connection with the diversion of funds and money laundering activities to the tune of N80billion.
The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission [ICPC] which its primary function is to investigate and prosecute corruption in the public sector, especially bribery, gratification, graft, and abuse or misuse of office – had originally launched a comprehensive investigation against activities of the Accountant General of the federation – and were already investigating Accountant General before the ICPC received a letter directing them to stop the investigation.
The agents of the ICPC were “hot on the trail of the Accountant General in January 2023” stated our source who explained that the agents of the ICPC had painstakingly gathered evidence and uncovered the many corrupt practices of the Accountant General – and were en route to dig deeper and possibly move to prosecute the accountant general.
This was before the ICPC received a letter from the office of the Attorney General of the federation, Barrister Abubakar Malami [SAN] instructing that the ICPC stop the investigation of the Accountant General. The investigation was stopped as a result of the letter.
With only weeks and/or months of receipt of the stop and desist letter, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] picked up the investigation and announced the arrest of Ahmed Idris on May 16, 2023 claiming the Commission had verified intelligence showing that the Accountant General raked off funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.
But credible information available to 247ureports.com indicates the investigation had reached finality prior to the receipt of stop and desist letter. The supposed intelligence received by the EFCC were secretly leaked from the ICPC to the EFCC. Our source explains that Abubakar Malami wanted his “boy” at the EFCC to make the arrest and take the glory rather that the ICPC chairman, Barrister Bolaji Olufunmileyi Owasanoye [SAN].
According to the source, Malami has the intention to glorify the exploits of the EFCC chairman who is considered Malami’s boy. “He does not want the Yoruba guy to take the glory of arresting and prosecution of Ahmed Idris”. Malami wants to groom the young EFCC chairman into an anti-corruption crusader in the public eyes. “You see, Malami wants to use Bawa to target some people. He has an agenda. A very sinister agenda.”
It is uncertain why Malami authored the stop and desist letter to the ICPC but it is certain that Malami allowed the sister anti-graft agency to continue with the arrest and prosecution of the accountant general. A source out of the ICPC offices alleged that Malami and a cabal within the Buhari administration have hatched a plan for the removal of the ICPC chairman over the charge that he has performed below expectations. “The stop and desist letter was just a part of the plan”.
