The suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed, who was remanded last week in Kuje prison over alleged theft of N109. 48 billion, was on Thursday in Abuja granted bail.
Three other co-defendants — Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Ltd — were also granted bails.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja gave them bails on terms and conditions stipulated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the prosecution.
Ruling on their bail applications, Justice Adeyemi Ajayi, ordered that the defendants shall not leave the Federal Capital Territory, and should they want to, they would have to seek clearance from the court or have their bails revoked.
He directed that the defendants should sign an undertaking that they will abide by the bail conditions.
Ajayi also ordered that the defendants should not have and shall not procure alternate passports until the case is done with, having deposited their original passports to the commission.
The court said In line with the rule of law, the defendants are entitled to bail in-spite of allegations against them, since the prosecution did not mention that the defendants misbehaved while in EFCC custody.
Persecondnews recalls that on Jul 22, 2022 Idris and others were hauled up before Justice Ajayi by the EFCC.
They are facing a 14-count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust amounting to N109. 48 billion.
The EFCC had alleged that Ahmed Idris between February and December, 2021 at Abuja, being a public servant by virtue of his position as the Accountant General of the Federation accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a gratification in the aggregate sum of N15,136,221,921.46 ( Fifteen Billion, One Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty One Naira and Forty Six Kobo) which sum was converted to the United States dollars by the said Olusegun Akindele and which sum did not form part of your lawful remuneration but as a motive for accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the nine (9) oil producing Sates in the Federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 155 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same section.
The prosecution also alleged that Idris while being the Accountant General of the Federation and Godfrey Olusegun Akindele while being the Technical Assistant to the Accountant General of the Federation between February and November, 2021, at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in such capacity, entrusted with certain property, to wit: N84,390,000,000(Eighty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Million Naira) committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly received the said sum from the Federal Government of Nigeria through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co., and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.
The defendants had pleaded not guilty and requested that they be granted bails.
Counsel to Idris, Mr Chris Uche, had urged the court to allow the defendant to continue enjoying the administrative bail granted to him by the EFCC.
Leave a comment