Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, this morning as a federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria has been discharged and acquitted him of thirty-eight count charge of money laundering out of forty count charge filed against him, while the court ordered him to enter his defence in the remaining two counts.
The presiding judge, Rita Ofili Ajumogobia, in her ruling, said in considering the issue of no case submission as filed by the defence counsel, certain laid down principles needed to be considered, such as the following. Has the prosecution led any evidence to link the accused person to the commission of the offence? Is the evidence adduced by the prosecution so credible to sway the court to compel the accused person to enter his defence and is the evidence so adduced make meaning and sense to any discerning minds?
Justice Ajumogobia, while appraising the submission of the prosecution and the defence said the prosecution has failed woefully to prove beyond reasonable doubt the offences in thirty-eight. Counts accordingly discharged and acquitted the former minister on this charges while the former minister was ordered to enter his defence in counts twenty-five and twenty-six.
The court said the prosecution has led evidence to show the ingredient of the offence which will necessitate the minister to enter his defence.
After the ruling, Dr Abiodun Layonu, leading two other lawyers Tola Oshobi, T. Adigun for the defence urged the court to give them short adjournment consequently, the case was adjourned till 8 December, when Fani-Kayode is expected to open his defence on those two counts.
Fani-Kayode, is standing trial on an amended 40 count charge, bordering on the alleged offences of transacting business without going through financial institution and has been prosecuted by the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC).
Source: PMNews
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