Ahmed Idris, the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, and three other people were re-arrested on Wednesday by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) in connection with an alleged N109.5 billion fraud at the FCT High Court, Maitama.
Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited are additional defendants.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, they were initially charged with misappropriation of N109.5 billion on 13 counts on July 22 before Justice Adeyemi Ajayi, a judge on leave.
However, the matter was given to Justice Yusuf Halilu when the court resumed.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them by EFCC.
Following their not-guilty plea, counsel for Idris, Chris Uche, SAN, prayed the court to allow the defendants to continue to enjoy the earlier bail granted them by the court on July 28
They had been following their bail conditions, he claimed.
Attorneys for additional defendants joined Mr. Uche’s application and submission.
Oluwaleke Atolagbe, the EFCC Counsel, did not raise any objections to the application.
But he let the court use its discretion in making the choice.
Justice Halilu decided the application and ruled that a defendant’s right to bail is protected by the constitution.
He added that having been previously granted bail by the court, he is favorably inclined to allow the defendants to continue enjoying the early bail granted them by the court.
He, however, directed that defendants submit their passports to the court’s registrar.
The judge added that if the documents are with the prosecution, they should pass the same to the registrar.
Justice Halilu adjourned the case until November 23 for a hearing.
The EFCC alleged that between February and December 2021, Mr. Idris accepted from Mr. Akindele, a gratification of N15.1 billion, which sum was as a motive for accelerating the payment of 13 percent derivation to the nine oil-producing states in the federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
The anti-graft agency also alleged that N84.3 billion from the federal government’s account was converted by the first and second defendants between February and November 2021.
The EFCC said the offense contravenes sections 155 and 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.
The defendants pleaded not guilty.
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