Hearing in the no-case submission made by a former
Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, was stalled on Tuesday due the absence
of Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
The case was adjourned till
November 11 but it was not clear why the judge did not sit.
Fani-Kayode, who was in court,
left at about 9.30am after he was told the hearing would not hold.
The court registrars only
informed parties that the suit had been slated for a further date.
The former minister was tried on
an amended 40-count charge of laundering about N100, 219,500 by paying them
into his personal account through an associate.
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) said on or about November 22, 2006, Fani-Kayode made a
financial transaction exceeding N500,000, which was not done through a
financial institution.
It said he accepted cash payment
of N10 million, which was carried in cash to First Inland Bank, Plc, Apapa
Branch (now First City Monument Bank Plc) through his close associate, Mark
Saviour Ndifreke, said to be at large.
The money, EFCC alleged, was put
into Fani-Kayode’s investment account for 90 days, an offence contrary to
Section 15(1) (d) and punishable under Section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering
(Prohibition) Act, 2004.
Other counts stated that he
carried out some of the transactions exceeding N500,000 while also serving as
Minister of Culture and Tourism. Ndifreke was also said to have helped him pay
the money into his personal account.
He allegedly committed the
offences between August 2006 and May 2007.
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