Former Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of failing to tender all the statements he made during his interrogation before the court.
Naija News understands that Idris is facing trial on a 14-count charge alongside Geoffrey Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and the company Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, at a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama.
All the defendants in the case have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Idris, who was arrested on May 16, 2022, over allegations of funds diversion and money laundering, claimed that the EFCC has not presented all the statements he made during their investigation.
The presiding judge, Halilu Yusuf, has ordered a trial-within-trial to determine whether the statements should be admitted as evidence.
The counsel to Idris, Chris Uche, accused the EFCC of misleading his client, claiming that the agency had assured him no trial would take place if he provided information implicating a former finance minister and certain governors.
Idris, in turn, urged the court to reject his confessional statements, arguing that they were obtained under duress and in violation of sections 15(4) and 17(1)(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. He emphasised that his lawyers were not present during the interrogations and that the sessions were not recorded.
In response, Hayatudeen Suleiman, one of the lead investigators for the EFCC, denied the allegations made by Idris’ legal team.
The prosecution presented 13 of Idris’ 16 statements as evidence in the case, but Idris insisted that three key statements were not included.
He explained that these statements, which were made on June 10, 2022, June 27, 2022, and July 5, 2022, were dictated to him by EFCC investigators without the presence of his legal counsel.
Idris told the court, “Apart from the 13 statements brought to court by EFCC, I made a total of 16 statements on different days in the course of the investigation.”
He further revealed that the statements were dictated to him, and he was not allowed to write any cautionary words, contrary to what the EFCC has alleged.
“None of my written statements were video recorded by my interrogators,” he added, pointing out the lack of documentation in the process.
The trial continued on Wednesday, with Idris providing details of his interactions with the EFCC. The judge adjourned the matter to July 17 for the prosecution to begin cross-examining the former AGF.