Follow Us on Google
By Lukman Olabiyi
The Federal High Court in Lagos has dashed the hope of former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who pleaded with the court to transfer his alleged fraud case to Abuja
Fani-Kayode is standing trial for the alleged N4.9bn fraud alongside former Minister of State for Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a company, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited.
The defendants were docked before Justice Rilwan Aikawa on 17- count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful retention of proceeds of theft and money laundering. But they pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The ex-aviation minister had earlier filed an application seeking transfer of the case from Lagos to Abuja but the court refused to grant his prayer. Delivering ruling on the application yesterday, Justice Aikawa held that the application lacked merit and dismissed it.
Contrary to arguments by Fani-Kayode’s lawyer, Mr. Norrison Quakers (SAN), that the cause of action leading to the case took place in Abuja, the judge observed that parts of the alleged illegal transactions by Fani-Kayode leading to the charge took place in Lagos.
Justice Aikawa noted, for instance, the allegation by EFCC that Fani-Kayode paid N30m cash to a printer, Olusegun Idowu, whose office is at Igbosere on Lagos Island. Besides, the judge noted that based on Fani-Kayode’s request, the immediate past Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, had earlier transferred the case from Justice Muslim Hassan of the same court, who was hearing it earlier, to the present judge, who is also in Lagos.
Justice Aikawa held that if the CJ had found merit in the request to transfer the case from Lagos to Abuja, he would have done it after Justice Hassan withdrew from the case rather than transfer it to another judge in Lagos.
Aikawa said: “I am of the view that based on the facts and circumstances of this case, there is no justification for the transfer of this case to Abuja. The application lacks merit and is hereby dismissed.”
Aikawa, in his ruling on yesterday, upheld the arguments of the EFCC lawyer. In another ruling, the judge also admitted in evidence the receipts issued to the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation by the printer, Idowu, for a cash transaction of N30m. The case was adjourned to today for continuation of trial.
