Mainagate: Malami grilled again as Dambazzau is exonerated

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, was on Thursday grilled again for the second time in one week over the reinstatement of the former Chairman of the Presidential Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, who was accused of N2 billion fraud.
Malami was grilled by the Senate ad-hoc panel probing the development.
Maina has since slipped out of public glare, declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Malami, who appeared for the second time in one week, was grilled in the office of the Chairman of the ad-hoc Committee, Emmanuel Paulker.
He is expected to come back again next week for further grilling.
Speaking with newsmen after the closed door meeting, the Chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, said the committee decided to do the investigation behind closed door in order to carry out thorough investigation.
Paulker explained that the investigative hearing was shifted to his office based on his discretion.
He said: “It is at my discretion to hold the meeting in my office.
“All the four chairmen of the committee were present.
“We don’t want a situation where by the media report will dictate a section of our report.
“The closed door session will allow us to do thorough investigation on the matter.
“Nothing will be swept under the carpet.
“The truth of matter will come at the end of our investigation and the report will be submitted before Christmas.”
However, multiple sources in the committee, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed that Malami told the committee about his meeting with fugitive Maina in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates before his reinstatement.
The source added that the report, which would be submitted before Christmas may eventually nail Malami in the whole saga because the of his role in reinstatement of ex-pension boss.
He explained that according to section 158 of the constitution, Malami has no constitutional right to order the reinstatement of Maina.
According to section 158 of the 1999 Constitution, (1): “In exercising its power to make appointments or to exercise disciplinary control over persons, the Code of Conduct Bureau, the National Judicial Council, the Federal Civil Service Commission, the Federal Judicial Service Commission, the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission, the Federal Character Commission, and the Independent National Electoral Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other authority or person.”
It was learnt that the reason the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau, was no longer invited for grilling by the Senate committee was because he had been exonerated.