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Ahmed Idris, the suspended Accountant-Common of the Federation, has approached the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) for a plea discount.
This was revealed by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), on Wednesday on the resumed listening to earlier than an Abuja Excessive Court docket in Maitama.
Mr. Idris is being prosecuted alongside 3 others on a 14-count bordering on alleged stealing and legal breach of belief to the tune of N109.4 billion.
What occurred in courtroom
Mr. Rotimi had knowledgeable the courtroom that the previous AGF with the opposite defendants had despatched somebody to EFCC’s workplace requesting a plea discount association.
He stated, “My lord, the defendants despatched a 3rd social gathering to me that they wished a plea discount assembly and that they wished to fulfill me.
“However my reply to them was that I couldn’t meet them within the absence of their legal professionals. By the character of our calling, we should be open and clear.
“Since part 270 of the Administration of Legal Justice Act encourages settlement and plea bargaining, I instructed them to return with their legal professionals and that I’d additionally invite the investigators to return for the assembly.”
Mr Rotimi stated the assembly was slated for Monday, however a lawyer representing the AGF got here to his workplace saying they had been excluded from the association.
“One of many legal professionals within the staff of the first defendant, Mr. Kanayo Okafor, got here to my workplace on the EFCC and protested that they weren’t carried alongside and that his consumer wouldn’t come for the assembly.
“I later spoke with the senior counsel, Uche, SAN, for greater than half-hour over the matter and he protested that we didn’t invite them. It was at that time that I made a decision to name the assembly off, regardless that the senior lawyer ultimately pleaded that it ought to go on.
“I referred to as it off as a result of within the first place, the assembly was at their occasion. So, not one of the defendants entered the EFCC premises or got here for the assembly.”
Again story
Mr. Idris was arrested by the EFCC on Might 16, 2022, over alleged diversion of funds and cash laundering actions to the tune of N80 billion.
- EFCC stated he was arrested after he did not honour invites by the fee to answer points related to the alleged fraudulent acts.
- He was subsequently suspended from workplace by the Minister of Finance, Finances and Nationwide Planning, Zainab Ahmed.
- EFCC accused Idris of diverting these funds by means of bogus consultancies and different unlawful actions utilizing proxies, members of the family and shut associates, including that they had been laundered by means of actual property investments in Kano and Abuja.
- He was later launched by the EFCC on administrative bail together with his passport within the possession of the EFCC.
- On July 22, Mr Idris was arraigned alongside three others on a 14-count cost bordering on alleged stealing and legal breach of belief to the tune of N109.4 billion.
- His lawyer, Chris Uche, SAN, prayed courtroom to allow his consumer to proceed having fun with the executive bail he was granted by the EFCC. He submitted that the offence his consumer was charged with is bailable and never a capital offence.
- Nevertheless, Mr Rotimi, in response, argued that the administration bail ended when the defendants had been charged to courtroom.
- Justice Adeyemi Ajayi then ordered his remand and that of the opposite defendants on the Kuje facility and adjourned the proceedings for July 27 for a listening to of the bail functions.
- On the subsequent adjoined date, the choose granted them bail and adopted all of the phrases and circumstances of the executive bail earlier granted by the EFCC.
What you need to know
- A Plea discount is an association between the prosecutor and the defendant whereby the defendant pleads responsible to a lesser cost in trade for a extra lenient sentence or an settlement to drop different costs.
- The opposite defendants within the swimsuit embody Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Trade Restricted.
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