A Federal High Court in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja has granted bail to former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.
The terms for the bail condition are the same as those that were enforced during the administrative bail granted to the defendant by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court, however, added that the defendant should by no means procure an alternate passport.
Delivering a ruling on the bail application, Justice Adeyemi Ajayi said regardless of the allegations levelled against the defendant, he is innocent until proven guilty.
She noted that bail is a constitutional right, which the court exercises discretion over.
The same bail conditions apply to the other defendants.
Prosecuting counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) expressed displeasure over the court’s leniency in granting bail to the defendants by adopting the terms of the administrative bail earlier granted them.
The defendants were also ordered not to leave the FCT without the express permission of the court.
Ahmed Idris, Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, and Mohammed Kudu Usman were arraigned alongside a company, Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, on a 14-count charge bordering on gratification, abuse of office and money laundering to the tune of over N109, 485,572,691.9.
They are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Ahmed Idris between February and December, 2021 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being a public servant, by virtue of your position as the Accountant-General of the Federation, accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a gratification in the aggregate sum of Fifteen Billion, One Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty One Naira and Forty Six Kobo (N15,136,221,921.46) 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 states in the Federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and you 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”.
Count eight reads: “That you, Ahmed 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 a certain property, to wit: Eighty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Million Naira (N84,390,000,000) only 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”.
They all pleaded not guilty to the count charges.
