Court orders EFCC to release Fani-Kayode's traveling passport

By -
(Nigeria) A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Femi Fani-Kayode's traveling passport.
The former Minister of Aviation is standing trial on alleged money laundering charges before the court.
Fani-Kayode's passport had been seized by the EFCC on the order of Justice Ramat Mohammed before who his trial started in December 2008.
But Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia on Tuesday ordered the EFCC to submit Fani-Kayode's passport to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, Mr. Bello Okandeji, to allow him (Fani-Kayode) access to it.
The judge said if Fani-Kayode needed the passport, he should file and address a formal application to the court copying the Attorney General of the Federation.
The judge said that he (Fani-Kayode) is to disclose his intended destination and the purpose of his travel in the said application.
Ofili-Ajumogobia added that Fani-Kayode shall not be allowed to stay out of the country for more than 31 days until the conclusion  of his criminal trial.
The accused had, through his lawyer, filed an application asking the court to order the release of his passport and grant him permission to travel out of the country.
Ofili-Ajumogobia said the application succeeded as the EFCC did not object to it.
"The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission shall bring the passport of thr accused person to court within 7 days," the judge held.
Meanwhile, the EFCC will on Wednesday cross-examine a witness brought by former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode , who is standing trial on alleged money laundering charges.
Fani-Kayode is being prosecuted before the court by the EFCC on the offences he allegedly committed while serving as Aviation Minister and later Culture and Tourism Minister.
Fani-Kayode had presented a witness before the court on Tuesday after which EFCC's lawyer is to cross-examine the witness on testimonies before the court on Wednesday.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UBTH @50: Obaseki hails institution’s role in strengthening Edo healthcare

By -
Image
(Nigeria) Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, has commended the staff and management of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, for their unwavering commitment, dedication, and hard work in providing high-quality healthcare services to the people of Edo State and Nigeria in the past fifty years. Obaseki, at a dinner organized in honour of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors of Nigeria, at the Government House, Benin City, reassured the government’s continuous partnership and collaboration with the federal government-owned health institution to strengthen the health system and ensure quality health delivery to Edo people. The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Philip Shaibu, reeled out the gains of the government’s reforms in the health sector, commending the medical centre for bolstering the government’s efforts at transforming Edo State into a health hub. He said, "We came into a wilderness where you have to cut a part for yourself and fix it. We held
Read more

NBC has no powers to impose fine on broadcast stations --Court

By -
Image
(Nigeria) The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has been restrained by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, from imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country. Trial judge in the matter, Justice James Omotosho also set aside the N500,000 fines imposed on March 1, 2019, on each of 45 broadcast stations. The court made the orders in its judgment a suit by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda, MRA, which had sued the NBC. Justice Omotosho held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations. The court further held that the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanction, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law. He said the court would not sit idle and watch a body imposing fine arbitrarily without recourse to the law. He said that the commission did not comply with the law when it sat as a complainant and at
Read more