UPDATE: EFCC RE-ARRAIGNS SUSPENDED AGF, OTHERS OVER N109 BILLION FRAUD
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The suspended Accountant-General of the Federation and three other defendants were re-arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday at Maitama Federal Capital Territory High Court on charges of a N109.5 billion scam.
Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited are additional defendants.
They were initially charged with misappropriating N109.5 billion on 13 counts on July 22 before Justice Adeyemi Ajayi, a judge on leave.
However, the matter was given to Justice Yusuf Halilu when the court resumed.
For the charge brought against them, they all entered a plea of not guilty.
After the defendants entered a not-guilty plea, Idris’ attorney, Chris Uche (SAN), pleaded with the court to permit the defendants to continue to enjoy the previous bail that had been granted to them on July 28.
They had been following their bail conditions, he claimed.
The attorneys for the other accused joined Uche’s application and submission.
Oluwaleke Atolagbe, the attorney for the EFCC, did not object to the application.
But he let the court use its discretion in making the choice.
Justice Halilu decided the application and ruled that a defendant’s right to bail is protected by the constitution.
However, he instructed the defendants to give the court registrar their passports.
The judge further said that the prosecution should give the documents to the registrar if they are present.
The case was postponed until a hearing on November 23 by Justice Halilu.
According to the EFCC, Idris accepted a gratification of N15.1 billion from Akindele between February and December 2021 with the intention of speeding up the payment of 13% derivation to the nine oil-producing states in the federation through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
The first and second defendants allegedly converted N84.3 billion from the Federal Government’s account between February and November 2021, according to the anti-graft bureau.
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