Money laundering: Fani-Kayode to spend Christmas in prison
By Tony Amokeodo
Published: Wednesday, 24 Dec 2008
A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Tuesday, directed that a former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, be remanded in Ikoyi Prison pending the hearing of his bail application on December 29.
Former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arraigned him in the court on a 47-count charge of money laundering.
He was said to have, through his wife, Regina (now at large) and daughter, Remilekun, lodged about N250m in his account with a commercial bank in Lagos.
The EFCC also claimed that the accused connived with three of his associates and administrative assistant — Mark Ndifere, Florence Salau and Supo Agbaje (now at large) — to launder the said N250m.
According to the anti-graft agency, the offence is contrary to Sections 14 (1) (b), 15 (1) (d) (2) (b) and 16 (a) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act, 2004).
The accused, who wore a pair of blue jeans, brown loafers and a white linen shirt, was brought to the courtroom at 10.20am by the EFCC operatives.
Fani-Kayode, looking robust and calm, acknowledged greetings from his associates and sat in the dock.
But he was reminded that he could not sit there until directed by a judge to do so.
When the court presided over by Justice Ahmed Mohammed, began sitting at 10.40am, an EFCC lawyer, Mr Festus Keyamo, urged that the accused be allowed to take his pleas.
The court registrar later read the 47-count charge to Fani-Kayode. When asked if he was guilty or not, the former minister and Special Assistant on Public Communications to erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo, replied, ” Certainly, I‘m not guilty, My Lord.”
But there was a mild drama when the charge was being read as he expressed surprise when his wife’s name was mentioned.
The judge, however, cautioned him to compose himself in the process.
He apologised, saying that as a lawyer, he knew the essence of an accused maintaining his composure in the dock.
Keyamo thereafter urged the court to remand him and fix a date for the trial of the case.
But Fani-Kayode‘s lawyer, Mr Olawale Akoni(SAN), opposed Keyamo‘s request and asked the court to consider a bail application he filed on behalf of his client.
He told the court that a copy of the application dated December 23 had been served to the EFCC .
But Keyamo, who argued that he had just been served with the application, said he needed some time to respond to some issues in it (application).
Akoni argued that the application could be stood down till Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday when Keyamo would have responded.
Keyamo, however, insisted that he could not be rushed to respond to the issues raised in the affidavit in support of the bail application.
Another contentious issue between the parties was where the accused should be kept.
While Akoni wanted his client to be remanded in the EFCC‘s custody, Keyamo told the court that the commission’s facilities could not accommodate him.
He added that he had an instruction from his principal to inform the court that the accused should be remanded in prison.
In his ruling, Justice Mohammed said, ” I am of the view that a prosecutor who was served a motion on notice for bail in the morning of the day(Tuesday) the said motion is filed, is entitled to time to respond to the affidavit in support.
”I am sure that asking the prosecutor to come back the same day whether in the afternoon or evening to take the application cannot and would not in my understanding amount to giving him the time to respond in the circumstances.
“Thus the motion on notice dated December 23, 2008 is hereby fixed for December 29, 2008.
”Since tomorrow is December 24, 2008, and after tomorrow, there is no other working day except December 29, 2008, the accused person is to be remanded in the custody of Ikoyi Prison.”