EFCC probes leaked tape on Malami’s alleged influence on corruption cases, others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigation into the content of an audiotape released by one of its operatives, Mohammed Idris, on the influence of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on the anti-graft agency.

In the leaked tape, Idris, who is a police officer seconded to the EFCC, revealed how the AGF allegedly compromised cases of corruption in the country.

He specifically mentioned Malami as the one in charge of the EFCC, saying the minister had ordered the unfreezing of “big accounts” investigated by the commission.

He said: “Malami now controls the EFCC. The commission is in his hands. Once Malami speaks, the account will be unfrozen. They are unfreezing suspects’ accounts, including the big cases.”

The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, who reacted to the emergence of the audiotape in a statement on Thursday, described the operative’s claim as unsubstantiated.

He said the commission would activate its internal mechanism to deal with the issues arising there leaked tape.

The statement read: “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been drawn to a trending audiotape in the social media, where Mohammed Idris, a lawyer and seconded police officer with the Commission, purportedly made unsubstantiated claims regarding the influence of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on the Commission.

“The Commission wishes to state that it has commenced investigation into the content of the audio tape and will activate its internal mechanism to deal with the issues arising therefrom.

READ ALSO: Judge orders Malami to discipline NIS lawyer for snubbing court’s order on Odili

“For the avoidance of doubt, the EFCC does not condone acts of corruption. Abuse of privilege for financial gratification by personnel of the Commission is a serious offence against discipline.

“Without prejudice to the outcome of the investigation, snippets of the audio recording clearly showed an abysmally compromised ‘officer’ dropping names to ingratiate his benefactor, a relative of a crime suspect. By the alleged action, the said officer is no more than a corrupt fifth columnist with scant regard for the values of the Commission.

“The action is contemptuous of the established Standard Operating Procedure of the EFCC. Such professional indiscretion has no place in the new EFCC. The Commission encourages citizens who encounter any such unprofessional conduct by personnel of the EFCC to report to the Commission in support of our quest to build a better Agency.

“Reporting such conducts has been made easy by the Eagle Eye App, a financial crimes reporting application which was launched earlier in the year. We encourage members of the public to download the App from the Apple and Google Play Store and put it to use.

“Finally, the Commission wishes to assure the public that its operations are guided by established professional precepts which do not support the kind of discretion that could allow for manipulation by external actors.”

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