EFCC to Remand Fani-Kayode for Another 21 days

Mon, May 23, 2016
By publisher
2 MIN READ

BREAKING NEWS, Judiciary

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AGAIN the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has obtained another court order to remand Femi Fani-Kayode, former minister of aviation, for 21 days. A Lagos State Magistrate court sitting in Ikeja on Monday ordered Fani-Kayode to be remanded in EFCC custody.

After hearing the arguments canvassed by the lawyers representing the anti-graft agency, A. N. Anana and Fani- Kayode’s lawyer, Wale Balogun, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Bola Osunsanmi granted the remand application. The court subsequently granted the request and ordered that he be kept for 21 days.

The body had argued that the remand application which was brought pursuant to section 261 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2011, of Lagos State, was to remand the former spokesman for the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation in the 2015 general election, pending when he will be properly arraigned at the appropriate Court.

Fani Kayode’s lawyer, Balogun while opposing the EFCC’s remand application, argued that the anti-graft agency’s application was brought in breach of his constitutional rights, adding that the defendant had been granted an administrative bail by the EFCC but it refused to allow him perfect the bail.

He argued that the anti-graft agency had secured the same order of remand before an Abuja Chief Magistrate court, claiming the application is an abuse of court process. The lawyer therefore urged the court to dismiss the EFCC’s application against his client.

Dismissing Kayode’s application, the Chief Magistrate Osunsanmi ruled that he failed to present any material evidence before the court to support the argument that the former minister of aviation has been charged before any court for the alleged offence. The Magistrate subsequently ordered that Fani Kayode be remanded at the EFCC’s custody for 21 days pending when he will be arraigned at the appropriate court.

The former minister was however unruffled about the whole process as he was sharing jokes with his lawyers and some of his friends.

The EFCC had brought an application before the court seeking to remand Fani Kayode in custody to enable it conduct further investigation into the alleged N1.5 billion fraud levelled against him pending when he will be brought before a regular court.

—  May 23, 2016 @ 18:05 GMT

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