The trial of the former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, on allegations of money laundering has been fixed for the 10th of October, by Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako of a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The judge fixed the date after she turned down his request to stay further proceedings in the matter pending the determination of an appeal he filed at the Supreme Court on the admissibility of his statements of account as evidence by the Court of Appeal.
Fani-Kayode’s counsel, Chris Uche (SAN),had informed the court that a motion exhibiting the Certified True Copy(CTC) and the notice of hearing of the matter has been filed at the Supreme Court.
He thereafter urged the court to adjourn the matter pending the determination of the appeal.
This request was however opposed by counsel the Economic and financial Crimes Commision (EFCC), Nelson Okedinachi, who insisted that the defence team is only looking for an avenue to stall the matter.
He argued that the appeal before the Supreme Court is merely an academic exercise since the matter is to start afresh before Justice Binta Murtala Nyako.
He then urged the court to discountenance the motion and fix a date for the trial of the accused person.
Justice Nyako however declined to stay proceedings on the grounds that the appeal had only to do with the admissibility of a document and nothing to do with the matter before her.
She then adjourned the matter to the 10th of October for hearing.
The former Minister on the 16th of February, 2012, was re-arraigned by the EFCC on a 47-counts of money laundering before Justice Binta Murtala Nyako.
His re-arraignment was occasioned by the re-assignment of the case by the Chief Judge owing to the transfer of Justice Ramat Mohammed who was handling the matter before.
Mr Femi Fani Kayode had earlier been arraigned on a similar charge before Justice Ramat Mohammed in December, 2008.
