Fani-Kayode acquitted of 38-count corruption charge

Femi Fani-Kayode, former aviation minister, was on Monday acquitted of 38 of the 40-count charge against him, while the court ordered him to enter a defence for the remaining two charges.

Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, the presiding judge at the Lagos federal high court, discharged and acquitted Fani-Kayode of 38 out of 40 counts of N100m money laundering charges levelled against him.

In a critique of the submission of the prosecution and the defence counsels, Ajumogobia said the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt, the offence in 38 counts.

In March, the Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opened its case against the erstwhile minister, calling six witnesses to corroborate the charges against him, with all witnesses giving various testimonies about their relationship with him.

As EFCC closed its case on July 10, the defence counsel filed a no-case submission on behalf of the accused on August 5, bringing up a series of court rulings till date.

On Monday, November 10, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), defence counsel, filed a no-case submission on behalf of his client, saying he had also filed a reply on points of law in response to the issues raised by the prosecution.

However, Festus Keyamo, the EFCC prosecutor, urged the court to uphold his written submissions in opposition to the no-case submission, calling on the accused to enter his defence.

“Without wasting the time of this court, I will only correct one notion, and that is that the prosecution’s case does not concern lodgement but transactions which took place before the lodgement,” Keyamo said.

“Transactions, which were done without going through financial institutions, are what come under the definition of money laundering.”

The judge thereafter adjourned the case till November 17.

Fani-Kayode, who has a rich history of arraignment, was first arraigned in December 2008, on a 47-count charge in a court presided over by Ramat Mohammed, where he pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in like sum.

He was re-arraigned before Binta Murtala-Nyako, following the transfer of Mohammed, after which he re-appeared before Ajumogobia in February 2013.

His current case borders on his alleged acceptance of about N100m cash payments while he was minister of aviation and minister of culture and tourism, without using the proper financial institution.