Court rejects EFCC prayer to revoke Fani-Kayode’s bail in alleged N26m fraud trial

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s on Wednesday failed to have bail granted to a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, revoked.

The commission had in an application asked a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice John Tsoho to revoke the bail granted to Fani-Kayode for the former minister’s failure to appear in court on several occasions to face trial.

Fani-Kayode is being prosecuted by the EFCC for diverting N26 million allegedly received from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government.

However, Fani-Kayode pleaded not guilty to the charge.

When the trial resumed on Wednesday, Fani-Kayode was not in court.

Consequently, the EFCC’s lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar. appealed to the trial judge to revoke the bail granted to the former minister for his continuous failures to appear in court.

READ ALSO: Witness at Fani-Kayode’s N4.6bn money laundering trial reveals how ministry paid N800m without contract

Abubakar said Fani-Kayode being absent in court on Wednesday and in two other previous occasions amounted to jumping of bail.

He, therefore, prayed the court to revoke the bail and issue a bench warrant against the former minister.

But the defence counsel, Wale Balogun, told the court that Fani-Kayode had been indisposed, adding that he showed Abubakar b

“the medical report from the Kubwa General Hospital that the defendant should be on bed rest.”

In his ruling, Justice Tsoho said that the medical report brought by the defence counsel was enough reason to reject the application by the EFCC.

He then adjourned the matter until February 23 and 24, 2021, for the continuation of hearing on the trial.

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