Justice Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting at Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday revoked the bail earlier granted one of the defendants in the trial of a former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris for an alleged N109.5 billion fraud.
The defendant, Geoffrey Olusegun Akindele’s bail was revoked by the judge following his non-appearance in court yesterday for continuation of trial.
Akindele, who is the second defendant in the case marked, CR/199/2022, and Idris are standing trial alongside Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, on a 14-count charge bordering on stealing, fraudulent diversion of public fund to the tune of N109.5 billion.
They were brought before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on behalf of the Federal Government.
Idris, among others, was alleged to have between February and December, 2021, while being a public servant by virtue of his position as Accountant-General of the Federation accepted from Olusegun Akindele, the second defendant, a gratification of the aggregate sum of N15, 136, 221, 921.46, which was converted to dollars equivalent by Akindele.
The money, according to the prosecution, did not form part of Idris’s remuneration but a motive for accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to nine oil producing states in the federation through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 155 of the Penal Code Act Cap 533 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same section.
Idris and Akindele, who was Technical Assistant to the Accountant-General of the Federation, were accused of committing criminal breach of trust while being entrusted with certain property, to wit N84,390,000,000 between February and November, 2021 by dishonestly receiving the said amount from the Federal Government through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co.
By this, the first and second defendants were alleged to have committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them by the anti-corruption commission.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on yesterday, Akindele was absent in court as of the time the case was called, though Idris and Usman were in court.
Despite pleas by counsel for Akindele, S.E. Adino that his client was on the way to court, submitting that he (Akindele) has always been in court to face trial, Justice Halilu insisted on revoking the second defendant’s bail.
The judge held that after listening to what Adino said, when a court grants a defendant bail, such person must reciprocate the gesture by attending court for trial.
According to him, Akindele had clearly not shown good character and conduct by his refusal to attend court, adding that the second defendant had abuse the terms of his bail.
Justice Halilu subsequently revoked his bail and ordered the FCT Commissioner of Police and the EFCC to arrest Akindele and produce him in court in the next adjourned date.
Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, had informed the court that the prosecution received a letter from counsel for Idris and did not receive any from the counsel for Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.
Atolagbe said despite the fact that there were competent lawyers in the office of Idris’ lawyer, Chief Chris Uche SAN, even listed on the chamber’s letterhead, none of them announced appearance for the former Accountant-General of the Federation.
He added that he saw two lawyers from Uche’s office yesterday morning in court, saying that, “This is not fair on the prosecution. It is definitely a ploy to delay the trial.”
Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned to February 1, 2024 for definite hearing.
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