Embattled Fani-Kayode Cries Out `’EFCC demands I refund N840m without trial'

FORMER Aviation Min­ister, Chief Femi Fani-Kay­ode, has asked the Federal High Court, Lagos, to ad­mit him to bail 24 hours after he was arraigned on a 17-count charged by the Economic and Finan­cial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He also alleged that he is being pressured by EFCC to refund N84o million without trial.

In the motion for bail filed on his behalf by his counsel, Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN), Fani-Kayode told the court that he would be ready and willing to provide a responsible surety(ies) as may be re­quired by the court as a condition(s) for the grant of his application.

He argued that under the Administration of Crimi­nal Justice Act (ACJA), bail is more relaxed as all offences are bailable “and in the class of offences charged, it is the prosecu­tion that has a burden to show why bail should be refused. More so, under the Act, all offences can be compounded by plea bargain. So, it is not about imprisonment any longer.”

He further argued that one of the co-accused in the charge, a former Min­ister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, who alleg­edly received the money from government and paid Fani-Kayode, wrote that she did not know the money was from govern­ment. So, how would Fani- Kayode know?

EFCC slammed Fani- Kayode and Usman with a 17-count charge for fraud and money laundering.

Fani-Kayode was arrest­ed for allegedly receiving N840 million during the presidential campaign of former president Good­luck Jonathan.

In the motion dated June 15, 2016, Raji argued that the offences, for which his client is charged, are bail­able.

“The Defendant/Appli­cant has never been con­victed of any offence in Nigeria or any other juris­diction.

By Section 36 (5) of the Constitution of the Fed­eral Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Defendant/Applicant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The reputation and past credible record of the Defendant/Applicant at­test to the fact that he will not jump bail if he is grant­ed same. The Defendant/ Applicant will not inter­fere with the investigation or further investigation of the charges preferred against him.”