A Lagos Federal High Court has fixed January 16, 17 and 18 for the trial of former Minister of Aviation Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and ex-Minister of State for Finance Senator Nenadi Usman
The trial was initially slated for Monday Dec. 12th, but could not hold due to the public holiday.
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned them on a 17-count charge of laundering about N4.6 billion. They pleaded not guilty.
The 17-count charge borders on conspiracy, unlawful retention of proceeds of theft and corruption and money laundering.
They were charged with former National Chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and ex-Chairman of Kagarko Local Government of Kaduna State Mr. Yusuf Danjuma and a company, said to belong to him, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited.
Count one reads: “That you, Nenadi Esther Usman, Femi Fani-Kayode, Danjuman Yusuf and Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Ltd on, or about January 8, 2015, within the jurisdiction of this court conspired among yourselves to indirectly retain N1,500,000,000, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: stealing.”
The four were also accused of indirectly retaining N300 million, N400 million and N800 million – all proceeds of corruption, according to EFCC.
According to the EFCC, they allegedly committed the offence between January 8, 2015, and March 25, 2015, ahead of last year’s general election.
The prosecution also alleged, in another count, that Fani-Kayode directly retained N350 million, which he ought to have “reasonably known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: stealing.”
The commission said Fani-Kayode directly used N170 million, among other funds, which he reasonably ought to have known form part of the proceeds of corruption and stealing.
He was also accused of doing a cash transaction of N24 million with Olubode Oke, said to be at large, without going through a financial institution.
The offence, EFCC said, violated sections 1 (a) and 16 (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012, and punishable under Section 16 (2) (b).
