The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Femi Fani-Kayode before a Federal High Court in Lagos today, June 28.
Fani Kayode was arraigned alongside Nenadi Esther Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and Jointrust Dimensions Nigeria Limited. They appeared before Justice M. S. Hassan of the Federal High Court Lagos, on a 17-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, corruption and making cash payments exceeding the amount authorized by law.
The accused were alleged to have stolen and illegally disbursed about N4.9 billion Naira belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria for political and personal uses.
Sahara reporters report that the defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them.
Part of the charge reads:
“That you, NENADI ESTHER USMAN, FEMI FANI-KAYODE, DANJUMA YUSUF and JOINTRUST DIMENTIONS NIGERIA LTD on or about the 8th day of January, 2015, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves to indirectly retain the sum of N1,500, 000,000.00 (One Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known form part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: stealing, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) & 4 of the same Act.
‘That you, NENADI ESTHER USMAN, DANJUMAN YUSUF AND JOINTRUST DIMENTIONS NIGERIA LTD on or about the 9th day of January, 2015, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly retained the sum of N300,000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira ) which sum you reasonably ought to have known form part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: corruption, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) & 4 of the same Act”
In view of their plea, prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo asked that trial commence immediately and that the case be given accelerated hearing.
However, counsel to accused: Fred Orbih (SAN), Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), and S. I. Ameh (SAN) for first. Second and third accused respectively, informed the court of their applications for bail. But Rotimi said he needed time to respond to the applications and urged the court to remand the defendants in prison custody pending the consideration of the bail applications.
Justice Hassan ruled that “since the prosecution was only served bail application yesterday, and in the interest of justice, it will be fair if the prosecution is given the opportunity to respond”. He therefore ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody and adjourned to Friday, July 1, 2016 for hearing of bail applications.
Sources within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had said that the agency launched a manhunt for a former Minister of Aviation. Chief Femi Fani-Kayode’s name reportedly appeared again while EFCC operatives were grilling former Imo State Governor Achike Udenwa over the disbursement of a huge sum of money during the 2015 presidential election.
The details of how the cash was disbursed are: Fani-Kayode (N840million); Goodluck Support Group (N320million); Achike Udenwa and Viola Onwuliri (N350million); Nenadi Usman (N140million); Olu Falae(N100m) and Okey Ezenwa (N100million).
Operatives of the EFCC laid siege on the Abuja residence of the former minister of aviation. The EFCC operatives alongside many mobile police officers surrounded the Aso Drive residence of the former minister.
It was not clear why the security operatives surrounded the house but sources said that there were plans to arrest the former minister before the date he is expected to report to the commission for “discussion”.
The former minister also wrote on his Facebook page: “Today the EFCC invited me to to come their office on Monday. I have their letter. I agreed to be there. Now they have surrounded my house.
“The letter of invitation was served this morning and it was dated 6th May. They said I should report on the 9th. “Can someone pls tell me why they are at my gate? They can’t even wait because they want to detain me so badly and keep me away for the weekend. I never refused their invitation. Why all this? I leave them to God.”
Following the siege of his house and invite by the anti-graft agency, chief Kayode was held back in the EFCC custody. The spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Deji Adeyanju said that ex-aviation minister was being kept in an underground cell in the EFCC.
Fani-Kayode was on May 10 reported to the EFCC for questioning. READ ALSO: Fani-Kayode reports at EFCC office over $115 million bribe Adeyanju told reporters what happened with former minister: “When we got to EFCC at around 10am, they kept us waiting for about 2hrs before attending to us.
Then a Director met us and said the reason why we invited you is because of campaign funds & another petition against you. Then Fani-Kayode was taken for interrogation. His 2 lawyers & I were allowed to stay with him.”
“The Director of Finance Nenadi Usman asked me to open an account specifically for my Directorate so she can fund the directorate. I did,” Fani-Kayode said afterwards.
“She said she will not give anyone cash for transparency reasons. I opened an account. Monies were transferred into that account.
“The money she transferred to me was to run our directorate. We used all the money for an effective campaign. We did a wonderful job.
“I am very proud I was Director of Media & Publicity of the campaign. At the end, we did a report of all expenses & submitted to the PCO.”
Fani-Kayode was given an administrative bail in which two sureties must be serving directors in government agencies.
After over a month of being held in detention, Fani Kayode’s fiancée spoke out on why he is still being held by the EFCC.
Over a month after former Aviation minister and spokesman for the Goodluck Jonathan campaign organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, was arrested by the EFCC, his fiancée Precious Chikwendu, revealed why he’s still being held by the organisation.
Fani-Kayode who was arrested on May 9, for fraud-related issues, has been held in detention for over a month and was said to be set for arraignment before Justice Sule Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Fani-Kayode who is to be arraigned alongside former finance minister Nenadi Usman, reportedly filed for bail application through his lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN). According to the Nation, Fani-Kayode’s fiancée, Precious Chikwendu, revealed he has told the EFCC all he knows about the PDP campaign funds.
She reportedly said: “All the monies paid into his account were from private entities and they were judiciously used to prosecute the PDP 2015 presidential campaign. He was granted administrative bail with onerous conditions. The said bail conditions were met on Thursday, the 12th day of May, 2016, yet the complainant/respondent (EFCC) has refused to release the defendant/applicant till date.”
She also said Fani-Kayode was once interrogated in her presence, and there were no petitions written against him.
“I was there during one of the interrogation sessions, and what the operatives were asking the defendant/applicant was to refund the campaign funds and nothing more. The instant charges against him were merely brought to justify his unconstitutional detention by the complainant/respondent.
The EFCC are only keeping him to ask him to refund the campaign funds expended for the PDP 2015 Presidential Campaign in respect of which he was the Director of Publicity,” Fani Kayode’s fiancee said.
Femi Fani-Kayode’s spokesman, Jude Ndukwe, has said the operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who allegedly assaulted him (Fani-Kayode) in custody will not be punished. He said the pardon given to the operative is in line with the plan of the anti-graft agency to keep Fani-Kayode in custody for as long as possible until he is killed.
Meanwhile, a statement released by Ndukwe claimed that the EFCC had concluded plans keep the Fani-Kayode in custody without trial for up to, at least, another three months, Ynaija reports.
“The plan, according to our reliable sources, is for Fani-Kayode to be “punished” for his comments on national issues rather than for corruption as widely reported.
“Although the date for arraignment has been fixed for Tuesday, June 28, our investigations revealed that EFCC has no intention whatsoever to take the Ife-born chief to court, a situation that would force the court to adjourn for a long time. And with the three-month recess for judges around the corner, precisely starting on July 11, it is the plan of EFCC that Fani-Kayode would remain in custody till the judges resume sometime in October,” the statement read.
Source: Naij
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