The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday re-arrested Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, after he emerged from trial before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
This is coming barely two days after his wife and infant were detained in a bank for hour in Ekiti. It took the intervention of the state governor, Ayodele Fayose to secure her release.
Fani-Kayode, a former minister of Aviation and Director of Media and Publicity, campaign committee of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, is charged alongside a former Minister of Finance, Nenandi Usman and Danjuma Yusuf.
Also charged with them is a company, Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Ltd.
The trio was arraigned on 17 counts of unlawful retention, unlawful use and unlawful payment of money to the tune of about N4.9 billion.
They three pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail.
The Prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, opened the case and had wrapped up the witness’ evidence for the day on Friday and the case was adjourned to 14th and 15th November for continuation of trial.
However, shortly after the accused left the courtroom, two officers of the EFCC dressed in white Kaftans, flanked his sides and requested that he followed them to the commission.
Immediately, the court’s gate was barricaded by a Toyota Hiace bus and Fani-Kayode was arrested and taken away by the EFCC.
Meanwhile, when the case was mentioned on Friday, Oyedepo had opened the case for the prosecution and called his first witness, a Media Consultant, Mr Idowu Olusegun.
Leading him in evidence, the witness, a media Consultant for Paste Posters Company Ltd., told the court that N30 million was paid in cash to him.
Olusegun said that the money was paid by the office of the Director of Media and Publicity, PDP Campaign Organisation.
According to him, he had reached an agreement with the organisation whose office is situate at 14B, Samora Micheal Avenue, Asokoro FCT, for the sum of N24 million for media consultancy services.
He said that a further negotiation was reached in which N50 would be paid for each size of A2 posters, while N20 would be paid for each size of A4 flyers.
According to Olusegun after the job for the posters and flyers was done, he was invited to the office of the organisation and given N30 million in cash.
He told the court that he had demanded to know why payments was made in cash and was informed by one Mr Oke, that cash was the approved means of payment.
He said that Oke had been the person communicating with him throughout the pendency of his engagement to do the media jobs.
The witness also told the court that apart from the N30 million paid to him, there is also an outstanding payment of N24 million which was not paid to his company.
In the charge, the accused were alleged to have committed the offences between January and March 2015.
In counts one to seven, they were alleged to have unlawfully retained over N3.8 billion which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act of stealing and corruption.
In counts eight to 14, the accused were alleged to have unlawfully used over N970 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of an unlawful act of corruption.
Meanwhile in counts 15 to17, Fani-Kayode and Olubode Oke, who is said to be at large, were alleged to have made cash payments of about N30 million in excess of the amount allowed by law without going through a financial institution.
Besides, Fani-Kayode was alleged to have made payments to Paste Poster Co (PPC) of No 125, Lewis St., Lagos, in excess of amounts allowed by law.
All offences were said to have contravened the provisions of sections 15 (3) (4), 16 (2) (b) and 16 (5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act. 2012.
