Money laundering: Court acquits Fani-Kayode on 38 of 40 counts

Money laundering: Court acquits Fani-Kayode on 38 of 40 counts

AFederal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, partly upheld a no-case submission by former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, and acquitted him of 38 out of 40 counts of money laundering charges.
Fani-Kayode was charged on an amended 40 count-charge, bordering on the alleged offence by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Trial judge, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, discharged and acquitted the accused of the 38 counts, while ruling on a no-case submission filed by the defence on behalf of the accused.
The court partly upheld the no-case submission of the defence, noting that it succeeds in part. The court ordered that the accused enters a defence in respect of counts 25 and 26.
The court held that from the wordings of the charge, it was clear that they were basically set out in two formats, with counts one to 33 of the same format, while other counts of different formats.
The judge held: “For ease of reference, I shall set out counts one and 33 only, being prototype of the two species of the counts; the distinction is for the basis of convenience.
“In one format, the accused was alleged to have paid the amount into his account, while in the other, he was alleged to have paid it into the account of a third party.”