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N109bn Fraud: Ex-AGF Ahmed Idris Accuses EFCC Of Deception

Published

11 months ago

Feb 1, 2024.

Eko Hot Blog reports in a dramatic turn of events during the ongoing trial, the former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, has leveled allegations against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), claiming that he was deceived into admitting to the charges against him.

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According to Idris, the EFCC conveyed to him that their intention was to leverage his cooperation to implicate the Minister of Finance and some other governors.

In a statement dated May 16, 2022, partly read out by the prosecution witness, Hayatudeen Ahmed, Idris revealed that he was assured by the EFCC that any information he provided would not be used against him.

However, during cross-examination by Idris’ counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), Ahmed contested Idris’s claim of assurance.

He stated, “There was no such assurance. The statements made by Idris on the 25th, 26th, and 31st of May 2022 and that made on the 1st, 6th, 10th, 20th of June 2022, and 5 July 2022 were made willingly by the defendants contrary to the claims that they were allegedly made under duress by the defendants.”

The trial took another twist when the EFCC, through its counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), sought to tender video evidence containing a recorded interview of the defendants at the Commission’s Monitoring Unit Chairman’s office.

This move was aimed at countering the defendants’ assertion that they were interrogated without legal representation and proper recording, in accordance with the Administration Of Criminal Justice Act/Laws.

Idris’s counsel objected to the admissibility of the video clip, citing insufficient time for proper review.

Other defense counsels supported this objection. However, Justice Yusuf Halilu overruled their objections, emphasizing that admissibility and value are distinct considerations.

He stated, “Admissibility and value are two different things. A document once admitted can also be useless or otherwise. The Defendants did not give reasons the video should not be admitted but complained about the time they were served. This video is hereby admitted as evidence.”

FUTHER READING:

The trial, which has been adjourned to March 20, 2024, continues to unfold, with the dismissed order revoking the bail of Geoffrey Akindele, one of the defendants, adding another layer of complexity to the legal proceedings.

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