Femi Fani-Kayode, Nenadi Usman, others re-arraigned for N4.9bn money laundering

Former controversial minister and former spokesperson of the PDP 2015 presidential campaign, Femi Fani-Kayode and a former Finance minister, Nenadi Usman  were today re-arraigned before Justice Ridwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The case was reassigned to Justice Aikawa after FFK protested that the case be withdrawn from the initial presiding judge, Justice Muslim Hassan.

In the 17 count charge filed before the court by EFCC, FFK is alleged to have conspired with the others including Nenadi Usman and two others, to directly and indirectly, retain various sums of money while executing the PDP campaign project between January 8th and March 25th 2015.  According to EFCC, the money spent is believed to be proceeds from fraud. 

In one of the counts, the defendants were accused of conspiring among themselves to “indirectly retain the sum of N1,500, 000,000.00 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: stealing.” They are also alleged have retained 300m, N400m and N800m during the campaigns. The EFCC says all the money retained are believed to be proceeds from criminal acts. 

When the charges were read to them this morning, they all pleaded not guilty to the crime.  Justice Aikawa then adjourned the case to June 6th and 9th for the commencement of trial and for the judge to rule on FFK's application for the matter to be transferred to Abuja.

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