Fani-Kayode Gets March Date on Money Laundering Case

A Federal Hight Court in Lagos presided over by Mrs. Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, has ordered former Aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode to be re-arraigned on March 5 for a 40-count charge of money laundering.

Ruling on the matter of objection raised by Fani-Kayode’s counsel, Ifedayo Adedipe, SAN, at Monday’s hearing, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia averred that “the charge against the accused is valid and hereby sustained”.

Fani-Kayode who served as Aviation Minister under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was challenging the competence of the charges brought against him.

Festus Keyamo, lead prosecutor had on January 27, 2014 filled an-amended 40-count charge of money laundering against the former minister to which he declined to take a plea claiming the charges were invalid.

He was accused of financial transactions to the tune of about N500, 000 by-passing laid out public finance rules and also of accepting cash payments to the tune of N100 million when he served as Aviation Minister and Culture  Tourism respectively during the Obasanjo reign.

Quoting relevant sections 15(1) (a) (b) (c) (d) and 15 (2) (a) (b) of the Nigerian ‘Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2004’, Keyamo stated that Fani-Kayode’s actions amounted to contravention of the law.

Counsel to Fani-Kayode had opposed the fresh amendment on the grounds of being ‘incompetent.’
 
But Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia ordered him to take his ‘plea’ ruling that defence counsel’s objection was ‘misconceived’.

“The charge against the accused is valid and hereby sustained. The objection raised by the defence counsel lacks merit and should not have been raised in the first place.

The accused is hereby directed to plead to the charge”, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia ruled.

The former minister was first charged in 2013 on a 47-charge and he pleaded not guilty to which he was granted bail by the court.