N109bn fraud: EFCC Reacts To Allegation of Asking Ex-Accountant General to Indict Minister

• EFCC detective, Mahmud Tukur, has reacted to the allegation that he forced former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, to indict others
• Tukur described the claim of promising Idris leniency in exchange for indicting former finance finance minister as “absolute falsehood”
• He said he does not have the capacity to force a senior civil servant as the defendant voluntarily made the statements

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering metro and government policy

FCT, Abuja - A detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mahmud Tukur, has denied asking the former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, to indict the former Minister of Finance and others.

Tukur said the allegation that he promised Idris leniency in exchange for indicting the finance minister and others is “absolute falsehood”.

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Speaking during the trial-within-trial, Tukur said:

“I never promised him that he would not be prosecuted.

“I never did as a unit head and the first defendant is a very senior civil servant, in my capacity I cannot do that.“

As reported by The Punch, Idris and Godfrey Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited are standing trial on 14 charges of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109.5bn.

The court had ordered a the trial-within-trial following the objection raised by Idris’s counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), alleging that his client did not make his statements to the EFCC voluntarily.

The EFCC detective insisted that all the 13 statements involving Idris and his lawyers were voluntarily made.

“Idris signed on the back of the page of the statement sheet and it was witnessed by Barrister Haruna Isa.

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"The statement of May 21, 2022, was written by Idris.

“The statement of July 5, 2022, was made by the first defendant in the presence of Mr Gbenga Adeyemi. He was cautioned, interviewed, before those volunteered statements.”

According to TheCable, Idris alleged that EFCC deceived him into admitting his involvement in an alleged N109.4 billion fraud.

Idris said confessional statements were obtained in violation of the provisions of sections 15(4) and 17(1) (2) of the ACJA 2015.

He argued that his lawyers were not present when he made them and the sessions were not recorded.

EFCC charges former governor, Yahaya Bello with N80bn fraud

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that EFCC brought corruption charges against former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello shortly after the conclusion of his tenure and the removal of his legal immunity.

The anti-graft agency amended existing charges against Bello's nephew and an associate, accusing them of misappropriating state funds, to include the former governor as a co-defendant with additional counts.

Source: Legit.ng