A Special Offences Court, Ikeja has granted bail in the sum of N5 million to former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, in the case of alleged forgery against him.
Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe granted the bail today following an oral application made by the counsel to the former minister, Wale Balogun.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday on charges of forging a medical report.
The bail conditions laid down by the presiding judge, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, stipulates that Fani-Kayode must fulfill an undertaking to attend all his trial dates and to present a surety in like sum, who must be resident in the court’s jurisdiction.
The surety too, must also fill an undertaking that the defendant would attend all hearings.
Justice Abike-Fadipe had earlier dismissed an application by the former Minister, which challenged the jurisdiction of the court to try him on the charges of forgery and procurement of a fabricated medical report made against him by the anti-graft agency.
The former minister had, through his lawyer, submitted that the alleged offence was said to have occurred in Abuja and not in Lagos, and therefore, the Ikeja court lacked the powers to try him.
But in dismissing the objections, Abike-Fadipe insisted that the court has jurisdiction to try the case.
The judge also noted that the arguments raised by the defence counsel that the charges fell outside the scope of the EFCC prosecuting the matter, showed that it was challenging the validity of the charges which fell within the jurisdiction of the court.
Following the rejection of prayer, Justice Abike-Fadipe placed Fani-Kayode in the dock to be arraigned on all 12 counts of forgery of medical reports to which he pleaded not guilty to.
The EFCC had accused Fani-Kayode of procuring a forged medical certificate purportedly signed by one Dr Ogieva Oziegbe, which he had allegedly tendered before the Federal High Court before Justice Daniel Osiagor where he is also standing trial for alleged money laundering.
