REVEALED: Nigeria’s Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami Allegedly Stopped Prosecution Of Dino Melaye
Exclusive reports revealed by SaharaReporters on Thursday, August 13, 2020 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.
The attorney general has been widely accused of squashing corruption cases he takes over from some commissions investigating corruption cases.
In a recent revelation, it was discovered that Malami squashed a corruption case involving Senator Dino Melaye.
Melaye in 2015 was alleged to have opened two accounts, one a current and the other a savings account, using the name Daniel “Din” Melaye, posing as a student.
According to SR, Melaye posing as a student 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.
The attorney general has been widely accused of squashing corruption cases he takes over from some commissions investigating corruption cases.
He is also currently embroiled in corruption cases questioning how he has been acquiring wealth for himself through corrupt means.
