Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Aviation Minister, was absent on Monday from the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja in connection with a forgery case filed against him.
The APC chieftain is being tried in court for allegedly using false documents, fabricating evidence, and procuring the execution of documents before an Ikeja Special Offences Court.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Fani-Kayode on 12 counts.
In the charges, the former minister is accused of presenting a forged medical report to Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Lagos, where he is being prosecuted for alleged N4.9 billion fraud.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, Fani-lawyer, Kayode’s Wale Balogun, informed the court that his client was not present.
He said;
We regret to announce to your lordship that the defendant is not in court due to health reasons, and secondly due to a running battle he has with both the DSS and the police.
Balogun informed the court that “since the last time we were here, the defendant has been reporting every day at the DSS, and while he was doing this, the Nigeria Police invited him.
Since we left here on the last date, he has not been able to have peace of mind, and that has affected his health.
On the 16th, he was at the hospital and on Saturday he was also readmitted at the National Hospital.
Even now as we speak, he is also there, and based on this it has become imperative to seek your lordship’s indulgence not only to vacate today but the other days, 21 and 22.
We humbly apply that those days be vacated to enable him to resolve those issues.
The lawyer said he had shared some documents with the prosecution in that regard.
The EFCC prosecuting counsel, Bilikisu Buhari in his response said, “The defence counsel this morning, shared with us two documents; one is a medical report and another from the Nigeria Police.
In the circumstance, we leave the decision to the discretion of the court.
On December 17, 2021, the defendant was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to the charge leveled against him.
After hearing from the lawyers, the presiding judge, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, adjourned the case until May 24 and 25 for the continuation of the trial.
The DSS questioned Fani-Kayode about some online comments he made.
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