N109bn Fraud: EFCC To Arraign Suspended Accountant-General, Ahmed Idris Friday

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it is set to arraign a former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, and others over alleged N109 billion fraud.

A statement by EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said Thursday the commission would arraign Mr Idris at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, on Friday.

The trial judge is A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi.

Mr Idris will be arraigned alongside three others – Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

They face 14 charges of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109, 485,572,691.9.

The federal government suspended Mr Idris as the Accountant-General of the Federation after his arrest in Kano over the fraud allegation.

The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, informed Mr Idris of his suspension in a letter dated May 18.

His suspension is without pay, Mrs Ahmed’s letter stated.

“Following your recent arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegations of diversion of funds and money laundering, I write to convey your suspension from work without pay effective 18th May 2022,” the letter read in part.

The suspension, Mrs Ahmed said, was in line with Public Service Rules to give room for proper and unhindered investigation.

Recall in June how EFCC seized multi-billion naira assets linked to Mr Idris’ suspected proceeds of crime.

Charges
Count one of the charges filed against him and others reads, “That you, Ahmed Idris between February and December, 2021 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being a public servant by virtue of your position as the Accountant General of the Federation accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a gratification in the aggregate sum of N15,136,221,921.46 ( Fifteen Billion, One Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty One Naira and Forty Six Kobo) which sum was converted to the United States Dollars by the said Olusegun Akindele and which sum did not form part of your lawful remuneration but as a motive for accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the nine (9) oil producing States in the Federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 155 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same section”.

Count eight reads, “That you, Ahmed Idris while being the Accountant General of the Federation and Godfrey Olusegun Akindele while being the Technical Assistant to the Accountant General of the Federation between February and November 2021, at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in such capacity, entrusted with a certain property, to wit: N84,390,000,000(Eighty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Million Naira) committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonestly received the said sum from the Federal Government of Nigeria through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co., and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.