A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered a former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode to pay a fine of N200,000 for being absent from court for his re-arraignment, on the excuse of having a bed rest
when the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, prosecution counsel Mrs. Bilikisu Buhari informed the court that second defendant Fani-Kayode was not in court to take his plea, the prosecutor prayed the court to revoke Fani-Kayode’s bail earlier granted him by the court.
F. B. Ajudua, who is Counsel to Fani-Kayode, prayed the court to decline the application, on the grounds that the defendant had sent in a letter explaining the reason for his absence.
Ajudua told the Court that Fani-Kayode, he is on ‘bed rest’, at Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja, emphasizing that this was Fani-Kayode’s first absence from Court since the matter commenced in 2016.
Having gone through the Court’s record booked, Hon. Justice Osiagor noted that, contrary to the lawyer’s Fani-Kayode had been absent from court five times as against his Counsel’s claim.
Hon. Justice Osiagor then ordered Fani-Kayode’s to pay a fine of N200, 000(two hundred thousand naira) before the next adjourned date, else the Court will revoke his bail and Fani-Kayode’s Counsel opted for the fine.
The defendants’ arraignment was consequently adjourned to 30th November 2021.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, filed a charge marked FHC/L/C/251c/2016, against Fani-Kayode and others for money laundering related charges.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Nnenadi Esther Usman, Femi Fani-Kayode, Danjuma Yusuf and Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria LTd, on or about the 8th day of January, 2015, conspired amongst yourselves to indirectly retain the sum of N1.5Billion, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: stealing.
Cunt 17 reads: “That you Femi Fani-Kayode and Olubode Oke (still at large) on or about the 12th day of February,2015 in Lagos, without going through a financial institution made cash payment in the sum of N6million to Paste Poster Co (PPC) of 125, Lewis Street, Lagos Island, Lagos which sum exceeded the amount authorised by Law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(a), Section 16(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.
The offences according to the anti-graft agency contravened sections 1(a), 15(2)(d), 16(d), 18(a), 16(d) 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3), 16(2)(b) and 4 of the same Act.
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