Fani-Kayode acquitted of medical forgery charges by Lagos court

Femi Fani-Kayode, former Minister of Aviation, has been acquitted of medical forgery charges by the Ikeja Special Offences Court after the prosecution failed to establish a case

The Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has acquitted and discharged former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, of charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

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The ruling, delivered on Tuesday by Justice Olubumni Abike-Fadipe, came after Fani-Kayode’s legal team filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him.

In her decision, Justice Abike-Fadipe upheld the submission, noting that the EFCC had not linked Fani-Kayode to the alleged offence.

She stated that the prosecution had failed to present crucial witnesses, including the individuals who purportedly received money from the former minister and the lawyer who allegedly took the forged medical reports to the Federal High Court.

“The extrajudicial statements which remain, and which are intended as evidence, cannot be used for any purpose other than to contradict the person who made the statement when he is in the witness box,” Justice Abike-Fadipe said.

“The prosecution has failed to establish a prima facie case which would require the defendant to open his defence.”

The case, which has been ongoing for several years, centred around 12 charges related to the alleged use of forged medical documents by Fani-Kayode.

The EFCC accused him of submitting falsified medical reports before the Federal High Court during his trial for an alleged N4.9 billion fraud.

Among the forged documents was a medical report from Kubwa General Hospital, which the hospital later denied issuing.

During the trial, witnesses for the prosecution testified that Fani-Kayode had allegedly paid substantial sums of money for the procurement of forged medical reports.

One witness, Abidat Bukola, claimed that Fani-Kayode had paid a total of N820,000 for four forged reports, while another witness, Bassey Amah, the head of medical records at Kubwa General Hospital, confirmed that no records existed to suggest Fani-Kayode had been treated there.

Despite these allegations, Fani-Kayode maintained his innocence throughout the trial and denied all charges. His legal team argued that the prosecution had not presented sufficient evidence to support the claims.

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Following the ruling, Fani-Kayode expressed relief and gratitude, stating that he had been battling legal issues for 18 years and was overjoyed to finally be free from the charges.