Press
Release
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Femi Fani-Kayode
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Justice
Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on Monday,
November 17, 2014, told a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode that he
had a case to answer on the charges of money laundering preferred against him
by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
In a ruling delivered by on Monday, Justice Ajumogobia ordered
Fani-Kayode to prepare his defense on counts 25 and 26 of the charges imputed
to him. "The prosecution has made a prima facie case on count 25 and
26 and as a result, the accused should appear before the court and open his
defence on the mentioned counts", she said. She, however, discharged and
acquitted Fani-Kayode on all other counts.
Fani-Kayode was
arraigned on an amended 40-count charge bordering on money laundering to the
tune of about N100, 219,500 (One Hundred Million, Two Hundred and Nineteen
Thousand, Five Hundred Naira only).
At
the last hearing, after the EFCC had concluded its case against the former
minister, he elected not to put in a defence and instead filed a no-case
submission. In the no-case submission, Fani-Kayode submitted that the EFCC failed
to establish a prima facie case of fraud against him and urged the court to so
hold. He argued that there was no nexus between him and the alleged offence.
However,
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC urged the court to dismiss
the no-case submission on the ground that it was incompetent and frivolous, and
also prayed the court to order Fani- Kayode to open his defense on the charges.
Justice
Ajumogobia adjourned the matter till December 5th, 2014, for continuation of
trial.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media &
Publicity
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