26th November, 2019
Justice Ridwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, further adjourned the trial of a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, former Minister of State for Finance, Nenandi Usman, and others, over N4.6 billion Money laundering charges until December. 2, 2019.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the continuation of the trial of the defendants was earlier scheduled for (today) Tuesday.
The former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, is standing trial alongside former Minister of State for Finance, Nenandi Usman, Yusuf Danjuma, a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), and a Company, Jointrust Dimension Ltd.
The defendants were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on 17-counts.
They had each pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail respectively.
EFCC has since opened the case for the prosecution and is still leading witnesses in evidence.
At the last adjourned date on Oct. 29, EFCC had led Mr Shehu Shuaibu, its third prosecution witness in evidence.
Shuaibu, an investigator with the commission, had narrated to the court, how the sum of N800 million was paid from the Ministry of External Affairs into the account of the fourth defendant, Jointrust Dimension Ltd.
In the charge, the defendants were alleged to have committed the offences between January and March 2015.
In counts one to seven, they were alleged to have unlawfully retained over N3.8 billion which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act of stealing and corruption.
In counts eight to 14, they were alleged to have unlawfully used more than N970 million, which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of an unlawful act of corruption.
Meanwhile in counts 15 to17, Fani-Kayode and one Olubode Oke, who is said to be at large, were alleged to have made cash payments of about N30 million, in excess of the amount allowed by law, without going through a financial institution.
Besides, Fani-Kayode was alleged to have made payments to one Paste Poster Co (PPC) of No 125 Lewis St., Lagos, in excess of amounts allowed by law.
All offences contravene the provisions of sections 15 (3) (4), 16 (2) (b), and 16 (5) of the Money laundering (prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012.