EFCC losses plea to revoke Femi Fani bail
It appears the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, refused to grant the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s application, seeking for revocation of the bail granted to the former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode.
The presiding Justice John Tsoho ruled that the medical report brought by the defence counsel, Wale Balogun, that Fani-Kayode was indisposed was sufficient reason to reject the application by the EFCC’s lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar.
reports indicate that the ex-minister was, on Nov. 10, 2016, admitted to a N50 million bail bond with a surety in the like Fani-Kayode is accused by the anti-graft agency of diverting N26 million alleged to have received from the ex-National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
At the resumed hearing, Abubakar, who said the matter was for trial continuation, noted that Fani-Kayode was not in court.
The lawyer stated further that the former minister was equally not in court on two previous occasions, which he argued, amounted to jumping of bail.
Abubakar, thereafter, urged the court to revoke Fani-Kayode’s bail and issue a bench warrant against him.
He also prayed the court to summon his surety to show cause why the bail bond would not be forfeited.
However, lawyer to the former minister Balogun urged the court to dismiss the EFCC’s oral application.
He argued that such an application should be filed formally.
According to him, the prosecutor has narrated some facts and such facts should be on record by way of an affidavit.
Balogun further argued that before the commencement of the sitting, he met with Abubakar and gave him two reasons the ex-minister was not in court.