Justice Daniel Osaigor of a Federal High Court in Lagos, on yesterday, ordered a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, to pay N200,000 for not making himself available for re-arraignment for alleged money laundering.
Osaigor said he had gone through the court’s file and noted five different letters by Fani-Kayode, seeking adjournment on the same medical grounds.
The court, consequently ordered that he should pay the sum or risk revocation of his bail.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had charged Fani-Kayode alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenandi Usman.
Also charged was Yusuf Danjuma, a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, and a company, Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Limited.
The EFCC preferred 17 counts bordering on N4.6bn money laundering against them before Justice Mohammed Aikawa.
They had all pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.
The case was consequently assigned to Justice Osaigor and the defendants scheduled for re-arraignment on yesterday.
However, Ajudua told the court that although Fani-Kayode’s illness was recurring, he had attended court regularly.
After the judge went through the court’s file, he asked his counsel to take one of two options: revocation of Fani-Kayode’s bail or imposition of N200,000 fine to be paid before the next adjourned date.
The counsel chose the fine option and Justice Osaigor adjourned the case till November 30.
