Former
minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode was Monday ordered to be remanded in
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC by a Lagos State Magistrate
court sitting in Ikeja for 21 days.
The
EFCC has brought an application before the court seeking to remand Fani Kayode
in custody to enable it conduct further investigation into the alleged N1.5 bn
fraud leveled against him pending when he will be brought before a regular
court.
After
hearing the arguments canvassed by the lawyers representing the anti-graft
agency, Mr. A. N. Anana and Fani- Kayode’s lawyer, Wale Balogun, the presiding
Chief Magistrate, Mrs 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 who appeared in court on kaftan and Kito robber slippers.
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.
Source: Vanguard
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