Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Rayyan Alhassan
Published on 2024-03-20 15:37:01
Mahmoud Tukur, an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), testified in the FCT High Court that the commission did not make any promises to the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, regarding prosecution. This statement was made during the trial-within-trial to verify the voluntary nature of Idris’ statements, as ordered by the court in response to objections raised by Idris’ counsel, Chris Uche, SAN.
Idris Ahmed, along with Geoffrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, are facing a 14-count charge related to stealing and fraudulent diversion of public funds amounting to N109.5 billion. The defendants have all pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.
Tukur, the second prosecution witness, explained that Idris’ first statement was made voluntarily on January 22, 2022. The allegations against Idris originated from a petition filed by a group called ‘Treasury Concerned Staff’, accusing Idris of abusing his office and using the funds for personal gain in Kano. Tukur clarified that Idris approached the EFCC himself on January 22, 2022, to provide a statement, even though the EFCC team was not initially prepared. According to Tukur, Idris came to the EFCC office without legal representation, indicating a waiver of his rights.
Idris was later given administrative bail but was arrested in Kano on May 16, 2022, for failing to respond to EFCC communications. He was brought to Abuja and detained after providing additional statements on May 17, 21, 23, 25, 26, and 31, 2022, in the presence of legal representatives.
During cross-examination by the defense counsel, Tukur affirmed that he never assured Idris of immunity from prosecution and clarified that cautionary words were included by another EFCC officer in the process.
Following Tukur’s testimony, the prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, requested an adjournment as additional witnesses were unavailable. The defense did not oppose the request, leading to an adjournment until May 15 for further witness testimonies.
Justice Yusuf Halilu presided over the proceedings and scheduled the next hearing date accordingly. The case revolves around the alleged financial misconduct of the defendants and the legal procedures surrounding the investigation and prosecution by the EFCC. The court will continue to assess the evidence presented and determine the outcome of the trial based on legal merits and testimonies provided.
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