Justice Daniel Osaigor of a Federal High Court in Lagos, on Wednesday, ordered the former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, to pay N200, 000 for not making himself available for re-arraignment for alleged money laundering. Osaigor said that he had gone through the court’s files and noted five different letters by Fani-Kayode seeking adjournment on same medical grounds.
The court, consequently, ordered that he should pay the sum or risk revocation of his bail. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged FaniKayode alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman. Also charged is Yusuf Danjuma, a former chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and a company, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited. The EFCC preferred a 17-count charge of N4.6 billion money laundering against them before Justice Mohammed Aikawa. They had all pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.
Trial had begun before Justice Aikawa and witnesses being led in evidence before the judge was transferred out of the Lagos jurisdiction of the court. The case was consequently assigned to Justice Osaigor and the defendants scheduled for re-arraignment on Wednesday. When the case was called on Wednesday, Mrs. Bilikisu Buhari, announced appearance for the prosecution, Mr. I.J. Ogechukwu appeared for the first defendant (Usman), Mr. B.F. Ajudua appeared for the second defendant (Fani-Kayode) and Y. Olabode appeared for the third and fourth defendants.
Buhari then informed the court that on July 15, the prosecution asked the court to adjourn the matter for rearraignment of the defendants, but complained that on October 11, the prosecution received a letter from the second defendant informing them that he had been given bed rest by his doctors.