Posted by By GODWIN TSA & ATI TERKULA (Abuja), WILLY EYA, Lagos on
Embattled former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has described his current trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of misappropriation of N19.5 billion belonging to the Federal Government as politically motivated.
Embattled former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has described his current trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of misappropriation of N19.5 billion belonging to the Federal Government as politically motivated.
Brooding over his travail with a close associate in court, the former minister said God has a purpose for his trial.
Besides, Fani-Kayode accused the operatives of the EFCC of harassing his wife when she visited him at the commission and vowed to take up the matter with the Director of Operations.
He also instructed one of his lawyers, Kingsley Osuh, to lodge a formal complaint.
Meanwhile, the road to freedom for him, his predecessor, Dr Babalola Borishade, and the former Director-General of the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA), Rowland Iyayi, seems far as the court has abandoned the issue of their bail application for the issue of jurisdiction.
At the resumed hearing of the case before an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court on Friday, the issue of their bail application came up but the prosecution counsel, Steve Odiase, said he needed time to respond since he was only served a copy of the motion by 4.50pm on Thursday.
He specifically requested for 48 days to respond to the bail application. This sparked off a heated argument from the defence counsels, who were bent on moving the application for their bail.
Specifically, Chief Mike Ozekhome raised the issue of court jurisdiction, and Bankole Akomolafe, counsel to Chief Babalola Aborishade, also argued that an application for bail was in a class of its own and should be treated separately and specially.
On his part, Captain Rowland Iyayi submitted that the EFCC had not done a thorough investigation and was only abusing the court process.
The Chief Magistrate, Abubakar Lamidi Kabir, after returning from his chambers, held that he would consider the issue of jurisdiction raised by the defence counsel.
He accordingly ordered both parties to address him on the issue after his afternoon prayer and stood the court down till 2.30pm.
Lagos lawyer and Human rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome has described the arrest of former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC), as politically motivated.
He regretted that the anti-graft body arrested the immediate past Aviation Minister even when it did not have the facts to back its action.
Ozekhome who is counsel to the accused in a telephone chat with Sunday Sun said it was unfortunate considering that President Umaru Yar'Adua's government is anchored on the rule of law.
It will be recalled that Chief Kayode, his predecessor, Chief Babalola Borishade and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Roland Iyayi were arrested and charged for forgery, conspiracy and misappropriation of N19.5 billion Aviation Fund.
The Fund was for the upgrade of navigational equipment at Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano airports.
But Ozekhome explained that out of a total of N19.5 billion fund approved for the project, Fani-Kayode met only N12.4 billion and approved N5.2 billion for the projects he executed.
He said the former minister left a whopping N7.1 billion in the coffers of the ministry when he left office, saying that all the projects he executed followed due process.
Ozekhome described the arrest of Fani-Kayode as flimsy, ludicrous and an abuse of the powers of the EFCC and the law.
He, however, expressed confidence that the Abuja High Court handling the case would quash the matter for lack of merit.
The Lagos lawyer said that anybody who goes to the affected airports would know that Fani-Kayode did a lot of work with the money he received while in office.