EFCC denies allegations of pressuring ex-accountant general to implicate minister in N109bn fraud case
Mahmud Tukur, a detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, refuted any claims of offering leniency to the former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, in return for implicating the former Minister of Finance and other individuals.
The former Accountant General of the Federation claimed in his testimony before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on February 1, 2024, that the EFCC misled him into confessing to the accusations made against him.
According to the ex-AGF, he was informed by the EFCC that they intended to utilise his assistance in obtaining derivation funds from the Minister of Finance and certain governors.
Idris and his co-defendants are currently facing trial for 14 charges related to theft and breach of trust, amounting to a staggering N109.5bn.
The EFCC, Godfrey Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited arraigned him in July 2022.However, during the proceedings, Tukur, the second prosecution witness in the trial-within-trial, refuted the claim that the commission had made any promises to Idris.
The court ordered the trial in response to an objection from Idris’s counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), who contended that his client’s statements to the EFCC were not voluntary.Oluwaleke Atolagbe, the EFCC’s counsel, presented Tukur’s evidence, emphasising that all 13 statements involving Idris and his lawyers were given willingly.
He mentioned that his lawyers conducted interviews with the former Attorney General before submitting 11 statements at different points in time.
Tukur mentioned that Idris chose not to have a lawyer present during two out of the 13 confessional statements.
The trial judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu, set a new date for May 15 to continue the trial-within-trial.
By Nnaemeka Odenigbo
