Alleged fraud: Fani-Kayode fails in bid to suspend trial

By Innocent Anaba

lagos—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos yesterday denied a motion by a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, to suspend his trial over alleged fraud pending the determination of his request for the case to be transferred to Abuja.

Trial judge, Justice Rilwan Aikawa however, granted an application by former Minister of State for Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, for the release of her international passport so she can travel abroad for a medical appointment.

Justice Aikawa said, Usman was permitted to travel for three weeks between July and August to the United States but must surrender her passport to the court not later than August 31, 2017.

The court also allowed the prosecution to call its first witness, Olusegun Idowu,   who identified himself as a media consultant and said that he got two contracts of N24 million and N6 million from Fani-Kayode through an intermediary, one Olubode Oke.

However, at the prosecution’s request, the court adjourned trial  till Friday, to enable the witness bring originals of invoices and receipts of the alleged transactions.

Usman, Fani-Kayode, one Danjuma Yusuf and a firm, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

However, upon commencement of proceedings yesterday, Fani-Kayode’s counsel Norrison Quakers SAN, informed the court that it was yet to rule on a pending application for the case to be moved to the Abuja division of the court.

Although Justice Aikawa said the application was not in the court’s file, Quakers insisted that the application was filed on the day of the defendants’ re-arraignment and had been received and acknowledged by the EFCC.

He argued same for the suspension of the trial, pending the determination of his request for the case to be transferred to Abuja.

But EFCC counsel,  relying on Section 396 of the ACJL, argued, among others, that Quakers’ position was correct in law.

In a short ruling, Justice Aikawa upheld the prosecution’s argument.

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