A former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, on Wednesday told an Abuja court that he never engaged Paul Erokoro or his law firm to represent him during investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Idris made the denial while being cross-examined by EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, during a trial-within-trial ordered to determine the voluntariness of statements he allegedly made to investigators.

The trial-within-trial followed an objection raised by Idris’ counsel, Chris Uche, who argued that the statements the prosecution sought to tender on November 23, 2022 were obtained through deception and inducement.

Idris is standing trial alongside Geoffrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited before Halilu Yusuf of the Federal High Court, Abuja. They are being prosecuted by the EFCC on a 14-count charge marked CR/199/2022, bordering on alleged stealing and fraudulent diversion of public funds amounting to ₦109.5 billion. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.

During cross-examination, Jacobs asked whether lawyers were present when Idris signed several statements at the EFCC headquarters between January 22 and July 5, 2022. He mentioned names including Odudu Etuan of Paul Erokoro Chambers, Haruna Isah, Director of Legal Services at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Olugbenga Adeyemi, as well as Paul Erokoro, SAN.

In response, Idris said he neither knew Erokoro nor retained his chambers, adding that while the SAN approached him during his EFCC detention to seek engagement, the request was declined.

“I did not retain the services of Paul Erokoro Chambers during the EFCC investigation, and my family did not engage any lawyer while I was in custody,” he told the court. “He came to canvass for his engagement, which I did not grant.”

Idris further disclosed that he made 16 statements while in EFCC custody but was surprised that only 13 were presented by the prosecution. He insisted that the statements were not made voluntarily. When shown the 13 statements in dispute, he acknowledged referencing earlier statements while writing subsequent ones.

He also told the court that his first statement, made on January 22, 2022, was given voluntarily when he visited the EFCC without being arrested or required to provide a surety.

The former AGF added that he had earlier paid a private visit to the then EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, based on an invitation. According to him, Bawa allegedly assured him that he was not the target of the investigation, advised him not to engage a lawyer, and promised that he would not be prosecuted if he cooperated.

Idris claimed the alleged target was the then Minister of Finance, Shamsuna Zaynab Ahmed, noting that he had not seen her charged alongside him nor had any statement from her been tendered before the court.

After listening to arguments from both sides, Justice Yusuf adjourned the matter until April 21 for continuation of the trial-within-trial.