TheCable

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, took Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of aviation, into custody over allegations of fraud.

The former minister was taken to the EFCC office shortly after his trial at the federal high court in Lagos on alleged money laundering was adjourned.

The EFCC had quizzed Fani-Kayode on November 23 at the Lagos zonal command of the EFCC over allegations of fraud — including forgery.

The former minister had also confirmed being questioned by the EFCC in a statement.

“Just arrived at the George Hotel for dinner. I was never arrested by the EFCC. I was invited & I flew down to Lagos to see them,” he said.

“I arrived in their office at 2.00 pm & left at 8.30 pm. I was granted bail on self recognition. They were very polite & professional. Thanks be to God.”

Although all the defendants were present at the court session on Tuesday, the trial couldn’t proceed due to the absence of Ferdinand Orbih, counsel representing the first defendant, Nenadi Usman.

Orbih had sent a letter to the court explaining his absence and seeking an adjournment.

Rotimi Oyedepo, EFCC counsel, did not oppose the request for adjournment.

However, the prosecutor told the judge that the EFCC had recently discovered that all the medical reports of hospitals, including the Kubwa General Hospital in Abuja, previously presented by Fani-Kayode to stall his trial on health grounds, were allegedly fake.

But the judge held that the agency should have sorted out the issue before the court acted on the letters to grant an adjournment, adding that the court had become functus officio, having performed its function on the matter.

In response, Oyedepo told the court that the agency was currently acting on the report.

The case was then adjourned till January 24, 2022.

Shortly after the defendants stepped out of court, Oyedepo and Shehu Shuaibu, an EFCC investigator, walked up to Fani-Kayode.

After an exchange, the defendant got into his car and went with the EFCC agents to their office.

Fani-Kayode was arraigned alongside Nenadi Usman, a former minister of state for finance. Others listed as defendants are Danjuma Yusuf and a company, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited.

They were arraigned on a 17-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering and diversion of N4.9 billion, before Muslim Hassan, the presiding judge, on June 28, 2016.

However, midway into the trial, Fani-Kayode objected to being tried before Hassan and the case file was transferred to Rilwan Aikawa, another judge.

Upon commencement of trial, Aikawa was transferred to another jurisdiction of the court, and the case file was then transferred to a new judge, Daniel Osiagor, for the matter to start afresh.