Court Clears Femi Fani-Kayode of Forgery Charges.

Today, February 4, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, dismissed and cleared former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode of a 12-count charge pertaining to the use of a fraudulent document and the procurement of a “fabricated” medical report.

Justice Abike-Fadipe ruled this morning that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did not have the constitutional authority to try the former minister for the crime.

The judge ruled that Fani-Kayode was not guilty of an economic crime, and that neither the witnesses nor the evidence could connect him to the charges.

Fani-Kayode was charged by the anti-graft agency with hiring a doctor named Ogieva Oziegbe to produce a phoney medical report, which he then reportedly submitted to the Federal High Court, where he is presently on trial before Justice Daniel Osiagor for alleged money laundering.

On October 11, 2021, at Kubwa, Abuja, the defendant allegedly conspired with a doctor named Ogieva Oziegbe to sign a document called “MEDICAL REPORT ON Olufemi Fani Kayode 60 YEARS/MALE/HOSP. NO.00345,” which the anti-graft agency said was issued by Kubwa General Hospital.

Neymar The Commission further argued that Section 369 of the Lagos State 2015 Criminal Law is in conflict with obtaining and executing documents under false pretences. However, the former Minister had entered a not guilty plea to the case.