EFCC denies directing ex-accountant general to implicate minister in N109bn fraud

A detective named Mahmud Tukur from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) denied telling the former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, that he would go easy on him if he implicated the former Minister of Finance and others. 

Idris claimed in court that the EFCC tricked him into confessing to allegations by saying they wanted to use his testimony to implicate the Minister of Finance and some governors in a fund scam.

Idris, along with Godfrey Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, is facing trial for stealing and breaching trust involving N109.5 billion. The EFCC brought charges against them in July 2022.

During the trial, Tukur, as the second prosecution witness, denied making any promises to Idris.

A trial within the trial was ordered by the court after Idris’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), objected, claiming his client’s statements to the EFCC were not voluntary.

He said, “My lord, he (Idris) requested that he wanted to come and volunteer his first statement, and at the management level, it was approved. At that time, he was the serving AGF. It was based on his request my lord.”

Tukur maintained that all 13 statements from Idris, some made with his lawyers present, were voluntary. He stated that Idris even waived his right to a lawyer for two of the statements.

Under cross-examination, Tukur explained the EFCC’s procedure for obtaining statements and denied any promises of leniency. He also admitted that the EFCC did not formally invite Idris for the second statement.

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

The trial judge adjourned the case until May 15 for further proceedings.