An FCT High Court was told Wednesday that the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris and three others had reached out to the Economic and Financial Crimes with a plea-bargain proposal regarding their trial for alleged N109bn fraud.
Idris’ co-defendants are Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.
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Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, told the court that they sent someone to the EFCC asking for a plea bargain.
The EFCC had charged them 14 counts of alleged misappropriation of N109.5bn.
The counsel to Idris, Godwin Uche, told the court that he and other defendants’ counsel had not been able to meet with their clients yet on the statements all of them made at the EFCC office.
Justice Adeyemi Ajayi, after listening to the submissions of all the counsel in the matter, adjourned to October 4 for further hearing.
Earlier, the judge had revoked Usman’s the bail over his failure to arrive in court on time.
His counsel, Ibrahim Ishaku, though notified the court that his client was held up in a gridlock. The EFCC had alleged that between February and December, 2021
Idris accepted gratification from Akindele, a gratification to accelerate the payment of 13 per cent derivation to the nine oil-producing states through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
It also alleged that N84. 3 billion was converted from the Federal Government’s account by the former accountant general and second defendant between February and November 2021.
The EFCC said the offence contravenes the provisions of sections 155 and 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge. (NAN)
