Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Wednesday was fined by Justice Daniel Osaigor of a Federal High court in Lagos in the sum of ₦200,000 for not making himself available for re-arraignment for alleged money laundering.
Osaigor fined Fani-Kayode after he had gone through the court’s file and noted five different letters by Fani-Kayode seeking adjournment on medical grounds.
The court, consequently, ordered that he should pay the sum or risks revocation of his bail.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Fani-Kayode alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenandi Usman to court.
The commission 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.
Mrs Bilikisu Buhari, while announcing appearance for prosecution informed the court that on July 15, prosecution asked the court to adjourn the matter for re-arraignment of the defendants.
She told the court that on Oct. 11, prosecution received a letter from the second defendant informing them that he had been given bed rest.
Buhari told the court that letters by the second defendant had become numerous, saying that he wrote them to avoid attending court sittings.
‘Whenever he doesn’t want to attend court, this is the type of letter we get,’ she said.
However, Fani-Kayode’s counsel, Ajudua, told the court that although his client’s illness was recurring, he had attended court regularly.
He appealed to the court to grant an adjournment in favour of his client.
At this point, the judge decided to go through the court’s file and discovered that Fani-Kayode sought a similar medical excuse five times, NAN reports.
The judge asked his counsel to take one of two options: revocation of Fani-Kayode’s bail or the imposition of ₦200,000 fine to be paid before the next adjourned date.
The counsel chose the fine option.
In ruling, the court held: ‘The second defendant will pay a cost of ₦200,000 before the next adjourned date, as the recurring medical excuse has been a pattern that slows this trial.’
The judge then adjourned the case until Nov. 30 for re-arraignment of the defendants.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
