A Federal High Court in Lagos today fixed June 18, 2015 for the
judgment in the alleged money laundering case filed against Fani-Kayode,
by the EFCC.
According to The Nation, Justice Rita Ofile-Ajumogobia adjourned for judgment after parties in the suit adopted their final written addresses.
She also granted Fani-Kayode’s prayer to substitute one of his sureties, Wale Ajisebutu with one Ogbor Elliot, following Ajisebutu’s request to withdraw his suretiship for the accused.
At the hearing, counsel to Fani-Kayode led by Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) urged the court to dismiss the two- count charge against the accused as well as discharge and acquit him.
Punch Reports that the EFCC prosecutor, Festus Keyamo, urged the court to uphold the remaining two counts and to accordingly convict Fani-Kayode.
Keyamo pointed out that the object of the charge was that Fani-Kayode transacted in cash sums above N500,000, which was the threshold stipulated by the Money Laundering Act.
He stated that Fani-Kayode himself had admitted making such transactions in his confessional statement of December 22, 2008 made to the EFCC.
He argued, “In this statement, he admitted that he transacted in cash above N500,000. My Lord, this statement went in without objection by the accused person and the statement was voluntary.
“With the combination of this confessional statement and the statement of the IPO that investigated the allegation, we rely on all of these to submit that we have discharged our burden that monies were received by the accused person in cash and were not done through any financial institution.”
“Once you cannot explain the source of the large sum of money found on you, you are guilty of money laundering. If the prosecution must show where the money is coming from, then the whole essence of the money laundering law is defeated.
“It is not in all cases that the burden of proof lies on the prosecution; the burden at this point shifts to the accused person,” Keyamo argued.
Meanwhile, Fani-Kayode has begged Nigerians to cooperate with the Nigeria’s president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd)
According to The Nation, Justice Rita Ofile-Ajumogobia adjourned for judgment after parties in the suit adopted their final written addresses.
She also granted Fani-Kayode’s prayer to substitute one of his sureties, Wale Ajisebutu with one Ogbor Elliot, following Ajisebutu’s request to withdraw his suretiship for the accused.
At the hearing, counsel to Fani-Kayode led by Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) urged the court to dismiss the two- count charge against the accused as well as discharge and acquit him.
Punch Reports that the EFCC prosecutor, Festus Keyamo, urged the court to uphold the remaining two counts and to accordingly convict Fani-Kayode.
Keyamo pointed out that the object of the charge was that Fani-Kayode transacted in cash sums above N500,000, which was the threshold stipulated by the Money Laundering Act.
He stated that Fani-Kayode himself had admitted making such transactions in his confessional statement of December 22, 2008 made to the EFCC.
He argued, “In this statement, he admitted that he transacted in cash above N500,000. My Lord, this statement went in without objection by the accused person and the statement was voluntary.
“With the combination of this confessional statement and the statement of the IPO that investigated the allegation, we rely on all of these to submit that we have discharged our burden that monies were received by the accused person in cash and were not done through any financial institution.”
“Once you cannot explain the source of the large sum of money found on you, you are guilty of money laundering. If the prosecution must show where the money is coming from, then the whole essence of the money laundering law is defeated.
“It is not in all cases that the burden of proof lies on the prosecution; the burden at this point shifts to the accused person,” Keyamo argued.
Meanwhile, Fani-Kayode has begged Nigerians to cooperate with the Nigeria’s president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd)
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