Suspended accountant-general gets bail on liberal terms

A federal capital territory high court in Maitama has granted bail to the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.

The judge, Adeyemi Ajayi, in his ruling adopted all the terms and conditions of the administrative bail granted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“In line with the due process and supremacy of the law, the defendants are still entitled to bail, irrespective of the enormity of the allegations against them.

“The EFCC did not in any of its processes, stated that the defendants misbehaved while on administrative bail,” Ajayi said.

He added that as part of their conditions for bail, the defendants must remain within the FCT, and must seek permission before travelling out.

The defendants were also ordered to sign an affidavit promising to follow all of their bail terms.

They are to deposit their passports before the court and also undertake that they would not procure alternative passports during the pendency of their trial.

Adeyemi said the defendants must remain in Kuje correctional facility until they perfect the bail conditions.

Recall that in May, Idris was arrested in Kano after he failed to respond to invitations by the EFCC to answer questions over the allegation of N80 billion fraud.

Two days later, Idris was suspended indefinitely “without pay” by the minister of finance, budget and national planning. Zainab Ahmed.

Last Friday, Idris was arraigned on a 14-count alongside Godfrey Olusegun Akindele and Mohammed Kudu Usman, and a firm — Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.