N109bn Fraud: Confusion as EFCC accepts plea bargain which ex-accountant general didn’t seek

The EFCC prosecuting former Accountant General of the Federation Idris Ahmed has claimed the N109-bn-fraud suspect approached the commission for a plea bargain but the defence lawyer says his client never sough it.

Idris was arraigned alongside Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, the Technical Assistant to the Accountant General of the Federation, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

They all pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, bribery, and money laundering.

But at the hearing on Wednesday, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) said third parties had approached the commission to negotiate for a pea baragain instead of a full trial.

Which means Ahmed and his accomplices will plead guilty for lesser crimes to shake off the possibility of full trial.

Defence counsel, Goddy Uche (SAN) insisted that an invitation was extended to his client for the negotiation without his knowledge.

It was a lawyer in his chambers who went for the meeting, and had to suspend the negotiation when EFC’s chairman Abdulraman Bawa invited them.

Uche had also pleaded with the judge to adjourn the matter to enable him hold a conference with his client on about 10 exhibits sought to be tendered by the EFCC

Subsequently, Justice Jadesola Adeyemi-Ajayi adjourned the matter to October 4.