N4.9BN ALLEGED FRAUD: Fani-Kayode, Usman arraigned before another judge

The former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has been re-arraigned before a new judge in his N4.9 billion alleged fraud case.

He is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at a Lagos Federal High Court.

Fani-Kayode was earlier arraigned on June 28, 2016 before Justice Muslim Hassan of the same court before he objected, warranting his re-arraignment before the new judge, Justice Rilwan Aikawa.

Also re-arraigned along the former Minister of Aviation before Justice Aikawa, were a former Minister of State for Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman; who was listed as the one defendant in the charge, Danjuma Yusuf and a company, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited.

The EFCC is prosecuting them on a 17-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful retention of proceeds of theft and money laundering.

Fani-Kayode is said to have committed the offence while serving as the Director of Publicity of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential campaign organisation for the 2015 election.

EFCC alleged that he had during the period, conspired with others to directly and indirectly, retain various sums, which the EFCC said were supposed to have known were proceeds of crime.

Among other allegations EFCC said that they “indirectly retained the sum of N1,500, 000,000.00 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: stealing.”

The defendants when arraigned before the new judge on Monday pleaded not guilty to the offence they are being accused of as they have earlier done before the previous judge, Justice Hassan.

Sequel to a plea by counsel to Usman, Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), Justice Aikawa allowed the defendants to continue on the bail earlier granted them by Justice Hassan and adjourned the matter till June 6 and 9 for the commencement of trial and for the judge to rule on the defence’s request for the matter to be transferred to Abuja.

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