The suspended Accountant General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed and his co-defendant’s have finally been granted bail by an FCT High Court on Thursday on some of the terms and conditions given by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Adeyemi Ajayi in her ruling had also ordered that the defendants shall not leave the Federal Capital Territory without permission of the court. Justice Ajayi threatened to revoke the bail of any of them who fail to appear for trial.
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The court had also stated that the defendants shall sign an undertaken that they will abide by the bail conditions by the EFCC.
Justice Ajayi also orders that the defendants should not have and shall not procure alternate passports until the case is expensed, having deposited their original passports to the commission. Ajayi gave the ruling on grounds that the allegations against the defendants are yet to be proven.
The court also stated that 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.
Trial began immediately after ruling on bail.
It had also been revealed by a report which was sighted by Africa Daily News, New York that between the months of February and December, 2021 the already suspended accountant general of the Federation, Ahmed Idris who is currently being embroiled in a corruption probe had accepted a bribe of ₦15.136 billion, which would help to accelerate the payment of 13% derivation to the nine oil producing States in the Federation.
The scandalous bribe, we learnt, had been paid through one Olusegun Akindele, which was one of the counts levelled against Idris, as his case came for trial on Friday at the Federal Capital high court.
The EFCC, which is prosecuting him and three other people also alleged that the wholesome sum of ₦84.39 billion from the federal government’s account was converted by the first and second defendants between Feb. and Nov.,2021.
The EFCC had also noted that the offence contravenes Section 155 and 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the allegations against them.