SaharaReporters has gathered fresh facts on how the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, used his office to stop the prosecution of corruption cases in the country.
In the fresh case, it was discovered that Malami squashed a corruption case involving Senator Dino Melaye.
SaharaReporters had, in December 2015, published a report detailing how Melaye illegally operated bank accounts in the United States of America.
Melaye opened two accounts, one a current and the other a savings account, using the name Daniel “Din” Melaye, posing as a student.
By claiming to be a student, Senator Melaye was able to open a “Campus Edge” current account with account number 4460 1649 8396 and regular savings account with account number 4460 1647 5966 with Bank of America in the state of Maryland.
He obtained a debit card with an account number ending with 8873. One of his last transactions on the account took place on December 4, 2015.
This was the same day he addressed his colleagues at the floor of the Senate, on a proposed anti-democracy bill on social media and public petition censorship.
He approved payment for a transaction relating to the purchase of cosmetics from a Kremlin based MagnitKosmetik store.
Also, on September 1, 2015, Mr Melaye approved payment to a New York-based Schweiger Dermatology.
The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 in the Fifth Schedule Part, I Section 3 prohibits public officials from operating foreign accounts.
After the revelation, Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), a coalition of over 150 anti-corruption organizations, wrote the Code of Conduct Bureau to investigate Melaye.
Malami, however, went secretly to obtain the case file from the bureau and has since squashed the investigation of Melaye, SaharaReporters gathered.
Since Malami squashed the case, the CCB has also kept mute and refused to give a response to several letters seeking updates on the matter.
After so many inquiries, the CCB finally revealed that Malami had taken over the case file of Melaye.
“I am directed to refer to your letter dated March 13, 2020, on the above subject matter and inform you that the case file in respect of the investigation into the allegation of operating foreign bank accounts by Senator Dino Melaye has been taken over by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Federal Ministry of Justice,” Gwimi S. P., Director, I & M of CCB revealed.
Malami has been widely accused of squashing corruption cases he takes over from some commissions investigating corruption cases.
A report by SaharaReporters had outlined a series of cases taken over and swept underground by Malami.
Recently is the shielding of some soldiers linked to the killing of police officers during an operation to arrest kidnap kingpin, Wadume.
Malami is currently embroiled in corruption cases following a series of revelations by SaharaReporters on how he has been acquiring wealth for himself through corrupt means.
