Suspended Nigerian Accountant General, Ahmed Idris Returned $900,000 Cash From Stolen N109Billion, Witness Tells Court
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A witness has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja that the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation (AG-F), Ahmed Idris, voluntarily returned about $900,000 in cash.
The anti-graft agency on October 26, 2022, re-arraigned Idris and three defendants – Olusegun Akindele; Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited before an FCT High Court, Maitama.
They were first arraigned on July 22 before a vacation judge, Justice Adeyemi Ajayi on 13 counts bordering on misappropriation of N109.5 billion.
However, upon the resumption of the court, the case was transferred to Justice Yusuf Halilu.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
However, during the resumed trial on Wednesday, EFCC witness, Hayatudeen Ahmed, while testifying told the court that the cash returned by Idris was part of the public funds he allegedly diverted.
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Led in evidence by EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Ahmed, who testified as the first prosecution witness, gave details of how his team investigated a petition in which Idris was accused of abuse of his office and compromising government’s platforms, such as the Treasury Single Account (TSA), the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIVMIS), among others.
The witness said when Idris was confronted with facts, “he (Idris) returned $900,000, less $100 ($899,900) voluntarily, which has now formed part of exhibit in the case.”
He said out of the N84.7 billion that was shared among some government officials, N32 billion has been recovered so far.
The witness also told the court how Idris allegedly hired his ex-aide, Akindele, as a consultant to distribute N84.3 billion out of the N84.7 billion.
