Photo: Ex-AGF Idris, left, with co-defendants in court.
Ahmed Idris, the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, and three others standing trial over alleged N109.5 billion fraud, have sought a plea bargain.
Rotimi Jacobs, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, disclosed this at the resumed hearing of the case on Wednesday.
According to the EFCC counsel, the defendants had sent someone to the EFCC asking for a plea bargain.
Justice Adeyemi Ajayi, however, adjourned the case until Oct 4 after listening to the submissions of all the counsel in the matter.
The other defendants include Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.
The EFCC, had arraigned the defendants before an FCT High Court on a 14-count charge bordering on misappropriation of the N109.5 billion..
It alleged that between February and December, 2021, Mr Idris accepted gratification from Mr Akindele, to accelerate the payment of 13 per cent derivation to the nine oil producing Sates, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
The anti-corruption agency also alleged that N84. 3 billion was converted from the federal government’s account by the former accountant general and second defendant between February and November 2021.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge when read before them in court.
The offence is said to contravene the provisions of sections 155 and 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.
