A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has, today, discharged and acquitted former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode of corruption and money laundering charges over what it termed “Want Of Proof”.
While delivering judgement on Wednesday on the instituted case, the judge, Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, said the prosecution’s case was “feeble” and failed to provide “copious evidence” linking Mr Fani-Kayode to money laundering.
An elated Mr Fani-Kayode, while commenting on the judgment, told newsmen that the verdict was the “doing of the lord” and an end to a nightmare.
Mr Fani-Kayode was dragged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2008 over money laundering allegations to the tune of 100 million Naira (about $500,000).
The case was instituted while he was the Minister of Culture and Tourism and subsequently, Aviation but for want of proof, however, the alleged laundered sum was reduced to 2.1 million Naira.
According to the counsel to Mr Fani-Kayode, Ifedayo Adedipe SAN, in his summary submission, Fani-Kayode made no confession to the EFCC, as claimed by the EFCC.
He also maintained that Mr Fani-Kayode did not accept any cash bribe of one million Naira as alleged, claiming that the EFCC also failed to show to the court the person who handed the cash sum to the accused person.
Mr Adedipe insisted that the prosecution failed to prove its argument beyond reasonable doubts.
The anti-graft agency, the prosecutor, represented by Festus Keyamo, had urged the court to uphold the remaining two counts against the accused and to also convict Mr Fani-Kayode, as he could not exonerate himself of the allegations.
Mr Keyamo said: “The object of the charge is that Mr Fani-Kayode transacted in cash sums above 500,000 Naira, which was the threshold stipulated by the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act”.
According to him, “transactions which are done without going through financial institutions, is what comes under the definition of money laundering” and these are the charges against the accused person.
“Once you cannot explain the source of the large sum of money found on you, you are guilty of money laundering. If the prosecution must show where the money is coming from, then the whole essence of the money laundering law is defeated.
“It is not in all cases that the burden of proof lies on the prosecution; the burden at this point shifts to the accused person,” Mr Keyamo further argued.