EFCC drags Fani-Kayode to court over alleged N1.5bn fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has filed a 17-count charge against a former Aviation Minister and Spokesman for the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode over an alleged 1.5 billion Naira fraud.

A former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, a firm – Joint Trust Dimensions Limited – one Danjuman Yusuf and another Olubode Oke, (said to be at large) were also charged alongside Mr Fani-Kayode. 

The defendants are expected to be arraigned at the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos as soon as the case is assigned to a judge. A copy of the charge showed that while Mr Fani-Kayode was named in all 17 counts, the former Finance Minister was only named in the first four counts of the charge.

In the first count, Usman, Fani-Kayode, Yusuf And Jointrust Dimensions Nigeria Limited on or about January 8, 2015, within the jurisdiction of the Court conspired to indirectly retain the sum of 1.5 billion Naira, a sum the EFCC said they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act of stealing.

“They, therefore, committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012. The Offence is punishable under Section 15(3) & 4 of the same Act,” the charge read. 

The EFCC had listed 17 witnesses to testify against the defendants including representatives of some banks.