Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Maitama Division of the FCT High Court, on Tuesday, revoked the bail earlier granted to one of the defendants in the trial of a former accountant-general of the federation, Ahmed Idris, over an alleged fraudulent diversion of public funds to the tune of N109.5 million.
The judge revoked the defendant, Geoffrey Olusegun Akindele’s bail following his non-appearance in court for continuation of trial.
Mr Akindele, the second defendant in the case marked CR/199/2022, and Idris is standing trial alongside Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.
EFCC is prosecuting him on a 14-count charge bordering on stealing fraudulent diversion of N109.5 billion public funds. Mr 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 Mr Akindele, the second defendant, a gratification of N15,136,221,921.46, converted to dollar equivalent by Mr Akindele.
According to the prosecution, the money did not form part of Idris’s remuneration but a motive for accelerating the payment of 13 per cent derivation to nine oil-producing states in the federation through the office of the accountant-general of the federation.
EFCC alleged they 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.
Messrs Idris and Akindele (technical assistant to the accountant-general of the federation) were accused of committing criminal breach of trust while being entrusted with a certain property, to wit N84,390,000,000 between February and November 2021, by dishonestly receiving the said amount from the federal government through Mr Akindele, trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co.
By this, according to EFCC, 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 Tuesday, Mr Akindele was absent in court as of the time the case was called, though Messrs Idris and Usman were in court.
Despite pleas by counsel for Mr Akindele, S.E. Adino, that his client was on the way to court, submitting that he (Mr Akindele) was always in court to face trial, the judge insisted on revoking the second defendant’s bail.
After listening to what Mr Adino said, the judge held that when a court grants a defendant bail, such person must reciprocate the gesture by attending court for trial.
He added that Mr Akindele had not shown good character and conduct by refusing to attend court.
“The second defendant had abused the terms of his bail,” said the judge.
The judge subsequently revoked his bail and ordered the FCT police commissioner and the EFCC to arrest Mr Akindele and produce him in court on the next adjourned date.
He then adjourned the case for a definite hearing until February 1, 2024.
Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, had informed the court that the prosecution received a letter from counsel for Mr Idris and did not receive any from the counsel for Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.
Mr Atolagbe said that despite competent lawyers in the office of Mr Idris’ counsel, none announced an appearance for the former accountant-general of the federation. He added that he saw two lawyers from the office yesterday morning in court, saying, “This is not fair on the prosecution. It is definitely a ploy to delay the trial.”
