Ex-AGF Idris opposes EFCC’s move to tender video evidence in trial for alleged N109bn fraud

On Thursday, a former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, objected to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s move to tender a video recording of an interview session with operatives.

The compact disc containing the video was tendered by the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) through the prosecution’s first witness in the trial-within-trial in the ongoing fraud case which involved Idris and three others.

The court ordered the trial-within-trial following the objection raised by counsel for the ex-AGF, Chris Uche (SAN).

The trial was because the counsel claimed the ex-AGF’s statements the prosecution sought to tender on November 23, 2022, were not made on the grounds of deception and inducement.

The commission arraigned Idris alongside Geoffrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, on a 14-count charge of stealing, and fraudulent diversion of public funds to the tune of N109.5 billion.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

At the resumed hearing of the matter on Thursday, the EFCC witness, Hayatudeen Sulaiman Ahmed, told the court that Idris’s statements were not obtained through deception.

READ ALSO: Once again, Senate indicts ex-AGF, Idris, wants him to refund N74bn

He said the investigating team recorded the interview session with Idris, Akindele, and Usman, which was later burnt on a compact disc.

When the prosecution counsel sought to tender the video recording, Idris’s counsel opposed it.

Uche said: “We vehemently oppose to the strategy of springing this video on the defendants. The witness said the video was recorded on May 25, 2022, almost three years ago.

“By the constitutional provision, the defendants ought to have been served this to enable them to prepare their defence.”

Justice Yusuf Halilu adjourned the trial till March 20.

He, however, set aside the court’s order revoking the bail granted to Akindele.

This followed an application made by Akindele’s counsel, Joe Abraham (SAN).

Abraham informed the court that the second defendant was not in court at the last sitting because was held up in traffic.

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