Ahmed Idris, embattled Accountant-General, granted bail over alleged N109.5bn fraud

Idris Ahmed, the suspended Accountant General of the Federation, and his co-defendants were granted bail on Thursday, by the Federal High Court in Abuja under the terms and conditions set by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The defendants are not allowed to leave the Federal Capital Territory, according to Justice Adeyemi Ajayi’s ruling. If they do, they must request permission from the court first or risk having their bail revoked.

The defendants must sign an agreement promising to follow the EFCC‘s bail requirements, the court further ordered.

In addition, when the defendants had turned over their original passports to the commission, Justice Ajayi ruled that they should not possess any more passports and should wait to obtain one until the case had been resolved.

The trial judge made the decision on the basis that the defendants’ accusers had not yet been proven.

Read also:EFCC arrests Ahmed Idris, Accountant General of the Federation, for N80bn fraud

The prosecution failed to establish that the defendants misbehaved badly while in the custody of the EFCC, the court further ruled, adding that the defendants are entitled to bail despite the allegations made against them.

After the decision on the bail application, the trial has already started.

Idris and his co-defendants have been in and out of court over the past two weeks as a result of the Nigerian government’s 14-count complaint against them for theft and criminal breach of trust amounting to N109.5 billion.

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