Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, arrived the premises of the Federal High Court in Lagos, Wednesday, accompanied by a contingent of armed police officers, despite being under prosecution by the Federal Government for money laundering.
The former minister is facing a two-count charge of money laundering before Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia.
He was recently appointed the Director of Media and Publicity of the Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organization.
Although he serves on the president’s campaign team, Mr. Fani-Kayode is currently not recognised as a public official by Nigerian laws.
Unlike in the past when, as a member of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) he made his court appearances virtually unaccompanied; Mr. Fani-Kayode now arrives the court premises accompanied by armed police officers and Department of State Services (DSS) officers.
On Wednesday, half a dozen armed police officers leapt out of a trailing patrol van as Mr. Fani-Kayode arrived the court premises, with one hurrying to open his car door.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had initially instituted a 47-count charge amounting to N230 million against the defendant, later pruning it down to 40 counts of N100 million.
Last November, the judge dismissed 38 out of the 40 counts – leaving the prosecution to dwell on why Mr. Fani-Kayode received about N2.2 million “without going through a financial institution.”
On Tuesday, the judge ordered the EFCC to release the former minister’s international passport seized by the commission following an order by Justice Ramat Mohammed when the trial started in December 2008.
Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia is the third judge to handle the matter since then.
- Adapted from Premium Times
