A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, commenced the trial of former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, in the five-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N26 million preferred against him by the Federal Government.
Fani-Kayode, who was also the former Director of Media and Publicity in the campaign organisation of former President Gooluck Jonathan, however, pleaded not guilty to all the five-count charge.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, the first prosecution witness, Victor Ehiabhi, told the trial judge, Justice John Tsoho, that Fani-Kayode got N26 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
The witness, a policeman with the Criminal Investigation Department (C.I.D) for the past 13 years, said he was deployed to work with the defendant as his security aide.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mr Johnson Ojogbane, the witness said his duty then was to provide security for his family and his properties.
The witness, who was made to cast back to what happened in the course of his duty on November 21, 2014, said: “On that fateful day, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode travelled out of town and he told me to be in his house.
“The domestic staff were around the premises. While he was away, I was at home, located within Aso drive. One of the gardeners named Francis called me on phone, told me that the defendant called him on phone and directed that I should accompany a worker, named Esther, to the National Security Advier’s office at the villa.
“Not too long, the defendant called me and I told him the same thing. The domestic driver named Kenneth was directed to drive us to the villa.
“While at the villa, the driver was asked to stay in the compound while I and Esther walked into the building. We identified ourselves as personnel for the defendant. The staff in the office asked who is Victor and I told him that I was the one.
“I was asked to tender my identity card and I did. The man in the office brought out a paper to endorse it on behalf of the defendant and the large amount of money was written on the document for the defendant.
“I initially decided not to endorse the document on behalf of the defendant, but the man in the office insisted that it was me that should endorse the document and so I did.
“The same man in the office gave us the money in a Ghana must go bag. We then took it out of the office and put it in the booth of the car. We left the office and headed to the defendant’s house with the money.
“The defendant called again that I should ensure maximum security within the house until his arrival. On that same day at about 11:00 in the night, the defendant returned from his journey and he acknowledged the money and thanked us for what we did for him.’’
When the prosecution counsel asked the witness of what happened subsequently and how he got himself involved with the EFCC, he said he was invited by the anti-graft agency and was asked whether he had worked with the former aviation minister, to which he answered yes and was asked to write a statement.
After the evidence in chief, Justice Tsoho adjourned till June 6 for cross-examination of the witness by the defence counsel and for continuation of trial.
It is recalled that the EFCC had, on November 11, 2016, arraigned Fani-Kayode on a five-count charge involving diversion of N26 million which he allegedly received from the then National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (retd), under the guise of payment for contract.
The ex-minister allegedly received the money from the Office of the National Security Adviser while he was the Director of Media and Publicity in the campaign organisation of Jonathan.
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