December 24, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced an investigation into a trending audio tape in which a lawyer and a police officer attached to the commission, Mohammed Idris, alleged that the Attorney-general of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), wields immense influence in the commission.
In one of the multiple audio recordings, the EFCC operative was heard saying, “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.”
But the EFCC in a statement on Thursday, by its spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said it would activate its internal mechanism to deal with the issues arising therefrom.
It claimed that its operations were guided by established professional precepts “which do not support the kind of discretion that could allow for manipulation by external actors.”
The statement read: “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a trending audio tape in the social media, where Mohammed Idris, a lawyer and attached 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.
“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.”
