Fani-Kayode’s N5.9b ‘fraud’ trial stalled

By Robert Egbe

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday adjourned till February 24, 2020, the N5.9 billion alleged fraud trial of a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode.

The ex-minister is on trial for the alleged offence alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman; as well as Danjuma Yusuf and a firm, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited.

Justice Rilwan Aikawa fixed the date following the absence of the counsel to Yusuf and Joint Trust Dimensions Limited, Mr Clement Onwuenwuenor.

The lawyer wrote to the court to seek an adjournment on the ground that he was before the Court of Appeal in Lagos on three criminal cases.

Justice Aikawa granted his prayer.

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The defendants are facing 17 counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful retention of proceeds of theft and money laundering.

Fani-Kayode, who was the Director of Publicity of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign organisation for the 2015 election, was accused of conspiring with the others to, directly and indirectly, retain various sums which the EFCC claimed they ought to have reasonably known were proceeds of crime.

In one of the counts, the defendants were accused of conspiring among themselves to “indirectly retain N1,500,000,000.00 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: stealing”.

The four were also accused of indirectly retaining N300 million, N400 million and N800 million, all proceeds of corruption, according to the EFCC.

Fani-Kayode was accused of directly using parts of the money at various times, including a N250,650,000.00, which he allegedly used between March 20 and 25, 2015.

He was also accused of making a cash transaction of N24 million with Olubode Oke, said to be on the run, on February 12, 2015, “to Paste Poster Co of 125, Lewis Street, Lagos Island”.

The duo were said to have made the transaction without going through any financial institution, an act the EFCC claimed was contrary to sections 1(a) and 16(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012, and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.  The defendants pleaded not guilty