The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday, reserved ruling to resolve on whether or not or not to settle for some extrajudicial statements obtained from former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, throughout investigations into the N109 billion corruption prices introduced towards him.
Judge Yusuf Halilu adjourned for ruling after the prosecution and the defence provided their closing arguments within the trial-within-trial which the court docket ordered practically 4 years in the past to decide the voluntariness of the statements.
Mr Idris, by his lawyer, Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged the trial court docket in Abuja not to settle for the statements tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging that they have been obtained by inducement.
Mr Uche urged the trial choose to “reject the documents (statements) as well as video recordings” accompanying them.
But, EFCC’s prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacob, additionally a SAN, maintained that the statements have been voluntary and brought within the presence of individuals who testified within the trial-within-trial initiated on the occasion of Mr Idris’ lawyer.
The prosecutor recalled two of the witnesses testifying through the trial-within-trial that the statements have been “taken in my presence,” and requested the choose to admit them in proof.
A complete of 14 statements in query, taken on 13 totally different dates, have been the topic of the trial-within-trial which has run for shut to 4 years, main to a pause of the principle trial itself.
The choose ordered the trial-within-trial in November 2022, and has since paused the principle trial until when a call is reached on the admissibility of the contested statements.
The substantive trial began in 2022, when the EFCC arraigned Mr Idris alongside Geoffrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited on 14 counts of stealing and fraudulent diversion of N109.5 billion in public funds.
Mr Idris served as Nigeria’s accountant general from June 2015 till his removing from workplace in May 2022 following an EFCC investigation into the alleged diversion of public funds.
He and his co-defendants denied all prices throughout their arraignment.
The EFCC was presenting its proof to assist its case when court docket ordered the trial-within-trial on 22 November 2022 following claims by Mr Idris’ defence crew that the statements made by Mr Idris to the EFCC have been obtained by deception and inducement.
The defence crew alleged that the statements have been dictated and never voluntary. He additionally mentioned went again on an assurance not to cost. EFCC rejected the claims.
Both sides known as witnesses to show their stances on the statements.
Closing arguments
Presenting his closing arguments on Tuesday, prosecution lawyer Mr Jacobs, mentioned the presence of Mr Idris’ particulars, reminiscent of “his title and deal with within the statements, exhibits that the statements weren’t dictated.
Mr Jacobs additionally mentioned there was nothing in his assertion indicating that the EFCC ever promised not to prosecute him.
He argued that Mr Idris’ legal professionals took undue benefit of Section 17 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and urged the choose to “accept the statements.”
After listening to their arguments, the choose reserved his ruling and promised to talk the date to ship it to the events.
Background of case
On 10 June 2022, EFCC arrested Mr Idris in Kano, Kano State, the place he hails from, and flew him to Abuja for investigations. He was subsequently charged alongside co-defendants with theft.
EFCC later arraigned Mr Idris alongside his co-defendants on 14 prices, together with diversion of N109.5 billion. They all pleaded not responsible.
On 22 November 2022, the choose ordered a trial-within-trial after Mr Idris, by his lawyer, challenged the admissibility of the statements he made to EFCC investigators.
Trial-within-trial
During the trial-within-trial, the prosecution known as EFCC investigators who denied getting into into any non-prosecution settlement with Mr Idri or inducing to make statements.
Specifically, on 26 June 2024, Abdulhamid Isa Muri, an EFCC official from the fee’s Kano workplace, testified because the prosecution’s third witness concerning the assertion Mr Idris gave in June 2022.
The defence later opened its case and known as witnesses to assist its problem to the statements, together with officers related to the workplace of the accountant general of the federation.
In April, a retired Director of Legal Services within the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Haruna Alabi, testified as a witness for Mr Idris. He said he signed a statement written on 17 May 2022 by Mr Idris in EFCC custody.
“As our former boss, we wanted to show empathy,” Mr Alabi advised the court docket throughout cross-examination by EFCC’s lawyer.
Details of prices
The EFCC accused Mr Idris of, amongst different offences, diverting up to N109 billion in public funds whereas he served because the nation’s accountant general.
The prices additionally accused him of accepting N15 billion gratification from Olusegun Akindele as a motive for accelerating the fee of 13 per cent derivation to the 9 (9) oil-producing states within the federation, by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
EFCC additionally alleged that N84.39 million from the federal authorities’s account was transformed by the primary and second defendants between February and November 2021.
The defendants pleaded not responsible to the allegations towards them.
Recoveries
In December 2022, EFCC obtained a court docket order for an interim forfeiture of belongings, together with $899,900, N304,490,160.95, and 15 properties in Kano and Abuja linked to the alleged crimes.
EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, introduced at an occasion in Abuja in December 2022 that the fee had recovered over N30 billion.
It was not clear if the N30 billion the EFCC chair mentioned had been recovered from Mr Idris coated multi-billion naira belongings traced to and recovered from him within the wake of his arrest.
PREMIUM TIMES obtained pictures of some of the multi-billion naira belongings in June.
The belongings, largely in Kano, his house state in Nigeria’s northwestern area, are mentioned to be price billions of naira, considerably greater than his month-to-month wage as a public officer.
Part of the belongings is the Gezawa Commodity Market in Kano State.
One of the belongings – Ultra-Modern Mall, positioned in Kano State – is alleged to be price greater than N700 million.
Pictures obtained confirmed the mall was sited on a big expanse of land.
However, whereas the most important exterior works have been accomplished, work continues to be ongoing inside, with services like elevators and escalators being put in.
In 2021, Mr Idris, in his capability because the accountant general, launched Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, which he had overtly admitted to be owned by him.
Discover extra from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the newest posts despatched to your e-mail.
