October 13, (THEWILL) – A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode to pay a N200,000 fine.
The former minister is being prosecuted before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside a former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Esther Usman, a former ALGON Chairman, Danjuma Yusuf, and a firm, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited.
On resumption of Wednesday’s proceedings, the counsel representing the EFCC, Mrs. Bilikisu Buhari, informed the court that the matter is to start afresh, but Femi Fani-kayode, who is the second defendant was not in court to take his plea. She consequently urged the court to revoke Fani-kayode’s bail.
Responding, Fani-kayode’s lawyer, F. B. Ajudua, pleaded with the court not to revoke his client’s bail, saying that a letter has been written on his behalf indicating that he is currently on ‘bed rest’ at Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja.
Ajudua pointed out that Fani-Kayode’s absence in court on Wednesday would be the first since the matter commenced in 2016, and sought an adjournment.
However, after going through the case file, Justice Osiagor discovered that Fani-kayode had prior to his absence on Wednesday failed to show up in court on five previous occasions, a development which the judge said has stalled the smooth hearing of the charge.
Piqued by the development, Justice Osiagor asked counsel to Fani-Kayode, Ajudua to choose between having his client’s bail revoked or pay a N200,000 fine. The lawyer picked the fine.
The judge ordered that the fine must be paid before the next hearing of the case which was adjourned to November 30.
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