Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of an Ikeja Special Offences Court has expressed displeasure over the delay in the trial of former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode for alleged forgery.
Fani-Kayode, along with former Minister of State for Finance, Mrs Nenadi Usman were facing trial for alleged money laundering and diversion of N4.9 billion at a Federal High Court in 2018.
The prosecution alleged that the former minister brought several medical reports to stall the case.
Upon investigation, EFCC said it found medical reports supposedly obtained by the former minister from several government hospitals to be fake.
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On Dec. 17, 2021, the EFCC arraigned Fani-Kayode before the special offences court for allegedly procuring execution of documents by false pretence; use of false documents, fabricating evidence and use of fabricated evidence.
At Friday’s proceedings, Justice Abike–Fadipe frowned at the prosecution and the defence counsel for wasting the time of the court as the trial could not commence.
Abike-Fadipe enquired from the EFCC counsel, Mrs Bilikisu Buhari about the amended charge the anti-graft agency had sought to file against the former minister.
Buhari, in her response, said that the EFCC had not taken any action on the amended charge.
Defence counsel, Mr Wale Balogun, also told the judge he had not filed an application to get a copy of the proof of evidence from the EFCC because the EFCC had not amended it charge.
The judge said the parties in the suit had wasted precious judicial time of the court, noting that Balogun ought to have applied for the proof of evidence without waiting for the EFCC’s amended charge.
The judge adjourned the case until Feb. 23 for commencement of trial. (NAN)