Tag: Fani-Kayode

Proceedings were stalled yesterday before a Federal High Court, Abuja in the money laundering case involving former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani- Kayode.

The ex-minister was earlier arraigned before the court on a five-count filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following which the court adjourned to December 14 for beginning of trial.

In the charge, which has Fani-Kayode as the sole defendant, he is accused of diverting N26 million, which he allegedly received from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) while Sambo Dasuki was in office. He is also accused of handling the N26 million without using a financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act.

When the case was called yesterday, Fani-Kayode’s lawyer, Wale Balogun, said his client was not in court because he was ill.

Balogun apologised to the court for his client’s absence. He said the ex-minister had wished to be in court, but that his doctor advised him against coming.

Wale was silent on the nature of Fani-Kayode’s ailment. He only tendered  a letter from an undisclosed hospital,  where he said  the ex-minister was receiving treatment.

Balogun sought an adjournment.

Prosecution lawyer Johnson Ojogbane, who was asked by the judge, Justice John Tsoho, whether or not he was opposed to adjournment, said he concedes to a shift to another date.

He confirmed being shown a copy of the letter from Fani-Kayode’s lawyer.

Justice Tsoho later adjourned till February 6.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday picked up former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi  Fani-Kayode, on the premises of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Fani-Kayode was stopped by three EFCC operatives at about 1:55pm just as he stepped out of Justice Muslim Sule Hassan’s court where he and four others were on trial on a N4.9 billion money laundering charge levelled against them by the commission.

The operatives, one dressed in white kaftan and the others in black suits, asked him to follow them to the commission’s office, but allowed him to speak to the press.

“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has re-arrested me on a matter touching on, I believe, a case in Abuja which we have already acknowledged the fact that the matter is for November 10 and my lawyers have appeared in court.

“My lawyers have undertaken to produce me in court. They have written a letter which has been acknowledged by the EFCC, saying I’ll be in Abuja to answer to those charges on November 10.

“They will not take my life; I am not scared; I’m not intimidated, and I will not be silenced.

“I am very proud of the fact that the Nigerian people are beginning to understand what is going on in this country.

“They can re-arrest me a thousand times, torture me, lock me up, beat me, deprive me of food and my phones; they can do anything to me, I will never change,” Fani-Kayode said.

He was then led to a white Toyota Hiace bus which had barricaded the court’s gate and driven away.

Earlier, the EFCC opened its case against the former Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Organisation of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Fani-Kayode is standing trial alongside a former Minister of Finance, Nenandi Usman, and Danjuma Yusuf, as well as a firm, Joint Trust Dimension Nig. Ltd.

They were arraigned on June 28 on a 17-count charge bordering on unlawful retention, unlawful use and unlawful payment of money in the tune of about N4.9 billion.

They each pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail.

Prosecuting counsel Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo called his first witness, Mr Idowu Olusegun, a media consultant with Paste Posters Company (PPC).

Olusegun testified during evidence-in-chief that he was paid N30million in cash by the PDP Campaign Organisation for media consultancy services worth N54 million during the entire period of the electioneering.

The witness said his company got the contract via a proposal letter it wrote on January 28, 2015 to the campaign organisation whose address is at 14B, Samora Michael Avenue, Asokoro, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

After negotiations, his firm printed A2 sized campaign posters at N50 per unit and A4 sized campaign fliers at N20 per unit after which he was invited to the organisation’s office in Abuja and given N30 million in cash.

He told the court that he had demanded to know why payment was made in cash and was informed by one Mr Oke that cash was the approved means of payment.

The witness testified further that Mr Oke had been the person communicating with him throughout the pendency of his engagement to do the media jobs, but that he assumed that Mr Oke acted on behalf of second defendant, Fani-Kayode.

Olusegun added that a balance of N24 million was not paid to his company.

After his testimony, the court adjourned till November 14 and 15 for continuation of trial.

•Releases screenshot of bank statement

Barely 24 hours after her dramatic four-hour “detention” inside the banking hall, wife of former Aviation Minister, Precious Fani-Kayode, has debunked claims by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that her frozen account contained N2.3 million.

Mrs. Fani-Kayode, in a statement yesterday, denied that the account domicilled at Access Bank was used to launder funds for the Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation as alleged by EFCC.

She was not notified about the freezing of the account until someone paid N200,000 into it on Saturday. The money, according to her, entered the account but after that it could not be accessed.

The account, she added, was opened in 2005 at Onitsha when she was Precious Chikwendu, and about to enter the University of Calabar.

Mrs. Fani-Kayode said: “At that time it was known as Intercontinental Bank. The account was used from 2005 till 2012 when it was abandoned and went dormant.

“It was not utilised or activated until August 2016 when small deposits of between N200,000 and N500,000 were made into it and the total amount that entered into that account over a period of two months was approximately N4 million.

“The money was spent on looking after the family, paying staff salaries and buying groceries. Consequently at the time the account was frozen last Friday, the amount left in it was N95,000.”

She said she stopped at the bank on her way out of Ado-Ekiti on Monday, adding that she was detained  and handed over to the police and EFCC,  with her eight-month old son, Aragorn.

Mrs. Fani-Kayode said the balance at the time of the arrest was N295,000,which is approximately $600.

This, according to her, is reflected in the screenshot (attached to the statement) together with relevant dates.

The statement said: “How Wilson (Uwujaren) of the EFCC arrived at his figure of N2.3 million balance in the account at the time of arrest is mind-boggling and absurd.

“It is nothing but a shameless and barefaced lie and he and the organisation that he works for are nothing but pernicious liars.

“It is equally absurd to suggest that the account had anything to do with the Jonathan campaign funds or Dasuki funds given the fact that the account was not even active or functional between 2012 and August 2016.

“The presidential campaign took place in 2015 and at that time the account was dormant. At the time she stopped using the account in 2012 Precious Chikwendu had not even met Chief Fani-Kayode.

“The lies of the EFCC on this matter are sickening and they are wicked and sadistic people. Wilson’s assertions are just one example of such lies.

“The only reason that Precious Chikwendu’s bank accounts were frozen and she was subjected to such inhumane treatment is because she is married to Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who is a politician and a leading member of the opposition.

“They wanted to punish her and their eight-month old son, Aragorn, just to hurt and spite Chief Fani-Kayode.”

Mrs Fani-Kayode said: “Finally let me add this. It is not true that Precious Chikwendu has 17 accounts in GTB. This is another dirty EFCC lie.

“I have one current account with a merged savings account in GTB, which was opened in 2012. Outside of that I have a dollar account and a pounds sterling account with the same bank,  opened on the same day in 2012.

“None of these accounts have any connection whatsoever with public funds or with Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and neither was any GTB BVN linked to his. Again on this issue, the EFCC lied.

“Neither is it true that the EFCC was not at the bank in Ado-Ekiti to arrest me because three of its operatives were actually there manning the bank door with their identity cards pinned to their jackets.  They were backed by five armed policemen in uniform.”

The federal government has initiated a fresh charge of money laundering against former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Fani-Kayode, who was the Director of Media and Publicity in the campaign organisation of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, is already standing trial on a 17-count charge of money laundering before the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Fani-Kayode is being tried in Lagos with a former Finance Minister, Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm, Joint Trust Dimension Nig. Ltd.

They are charged with unlawful retention, unlawful use and unlawful payment of money to the tune of N4.9 billion on the defendants.

The new charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016, which has Femi Fani-Kayode as the sole defendant, was filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Fani-Kayode is accused, in the five-count charge, of diverting N26million, which he allegedly received from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) while Sambo Dsuki was in office.

He is also accused of handling the said N26miliion without using a financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act.

When the case was called yesterday before Justice John Tsoho, the prosecution was absent.

Although Fani-Kayode was absent, he was represented by a team of lawyers led by Wale Balogun. Balogun said he did not know why the prosecution, who filed the charge and was aware of the date, was absent.

He complained that his client was yet to be served with the charge as required. He sought for time, following which the judge adjourned to November 10 for arraignment.

Justice Tsoho ordered that hearing notice be served on the EFCC.