Akin Kuponiyi
Reprieve came the way of former aviation minister, Femi Fani Kayode and his other co -accused persons today. A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, south west Nigeria granted the bail applications of the two former ministers and chieftains of People’s Democracy Party (PDP), Senator Nenadi Esther Usman and Chief Femi Fani-kayode and one Danjuman Yussuf, who were arraigned before the court, on 17 count charge of alleged conversion of N4. 9 billion, in the sum of N250 million with two sureties in like sum.
The Presiding, Judge Mallam Suleiman Hassan also ordered that the sureties must be landed property owners within the jurisdiction of the court, and the title documents of such land must be verified within seven days.
The Court also ordered that the three defendants should also deposit their international traveling passport with the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR). The accused were equally ordered that they should be returned to prison custody, pending the perfection of their bail conditions. Thereafter, the case was adjourned till October 19, 20 and 21 for the trial of the three defendants to commence.
Granting the defendants’ bail applications, the judge upheld the submissions of the defendants ‘lawyers, Mr. Ferdinand Orbih (SAN), Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and S. I. Ameh, who had urged the court to admit them to bail in the most liberal terms.
In opposing the bail applications, the prosecution, led by Rotimi Oyedepo and Mark Ananna, had urged the court to discontenance the defendants’ bail applications on the ground that they may likely tamper with the evidence and interfere with the witnesses.
The three accused persons, and a limited liability company, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited, were arraigned before the court last Tuesday, on a 17 count-charge bordering on Fraudulent conversion.
EFCC in a criminal charge number FHC/L/C/251c/2016, alleged that the accused persons Nnenandi Esther Usman, a former Minister of Finance, under president Goodluck Jonathan Administration, Chief Femi Fani-kayode, who was the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organization, Danjuma Yusuf and a limited liability company, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited, had on or before January 2015, unlawfully retained the total sum of N4. 6 billion, which was they knew to have been proceeds from an unlawful act.
While the former State Minister for Finance, Danjuma Yusuf and Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited retained the sum of N1.5 billion, Femi Fani-kayode and Olubode Oke, said to be at large, were alleged to have retained the total sum of N1,650,650 billion.
The accused persons were also alleged to have made payment of several amounts of money running into billions on Naira without going through Financial institutions.
The offences according to the anti-graft agency are contrary to sections 1(a), Section 15(2)(d), 16(d), 18(a), 16(d) 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3), 16(2)(b) and 4 of the same Act.