N80bn Fraud: Suspended Accountant-General Not Our Member, Says ICAN

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria has said that it cannot sanction the suspended Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, over his alleged involvement in an N80bn fraud because he is not a member of ICAN.

The institute said this on Monday in a statement while responding to a letter written by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda asking ICAN to investigate and sanction Idris who is being probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

HEDA had called on ICAN to subject Ahmed to the institute’s Disciplinary Tribunal for thorough investigation and sanction.

Responding to the letter, the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of ICAN, Prof Ahmed Kumshe, said that the Institute cannot sanction Ahmed because he was not a member of ICAN.

He said, “The attention of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria has been drawn to some publications in the media where a group known as Human & Environmental Development Agenda is asking ICAN to investigate and sanction the erstwhile Accountant-General of the Federation being probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for corruption.

“We wish to inform the organisation and the general public that the former Accountant-General, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, is not a member of ICAN and therefore cannot be investigated and sanctioned by ICAN.

“Our act only allows us to regulate and discipline our members when they err at our Investigating Panel or Disciplinary Tribunal as the case may be.”

Three days after his arrest, Idris was suspended by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, to allow for a seamless investigation.

The Federal Government also appointed Anamekwe Nwabuoku to oversee the Office Accountant-General of the Federation in the interim.

However, the EFCC has released Idris on bail pending further investigations.

A former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’Aziz Yari, has also been arrested over the alleged scam.

The Accountant-General of the Federation is the administrative head of the treasury of the country and is saddled with the responsibility of managing receipts and payments of the country.