The Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, has acquitted and discharged a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, of the charge of medical forgery levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Olubumni Abike-Fadipe who freed the former minister while delivering ruling on the no case submission filed by his counsel held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him.
The court upheld the no case-submission filed by his counsel, Norrison Quakers (SAN) and ruled that Fani-Kayode had no case to answer as the EFCC did not link him to the offence.
Before the court, Fani-Kayode was facing 12 a count charge brought against him by the EFCC following his alleged use of forged medical report(s), which he tendered before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he was being prosecuted by the EFCC for an alleged N4.9billion fraud.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Femi Fani-Kayode, on or about the 11th day of October, 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by fraudulently used a false document titled: Medical Report on Olufemi Fani-Kayode 60 Years/Male/Hosp. No. 00345 DATED 11/10/2021 before the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division in charge No. FHC/L/251C/2016 which document you purported to have been issued by Kubwa General Hospital.”
Another count reads: “That you, Femi Fani-Kayode, on or about the 23rd day of March, 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently used a false document titled: To Whom It May Concern Re: Femi Fani-Kayode Male/60 Years Hospital. No. 32145 Dated 23rd March 2021 before the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division in charge No. FHC/L/251C/2016 which document you purported to have been issued by Kubwa General Hospital.”
The EFCC highlighted that obtaining and executing documents under false pretenses violates section 369 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
In court, the management of Kubwa General Hospital in Abuja denied that Femi Fani-Kayode was ever admitted as a patient.
The hospital’s head of medical records, Bassey Amah, informed Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe that the medical report submitted by the former minister was not issued by their facility.
Amah, testifying as the first prosecution witness, stated that Fani-Kayode is not a patient and does not possess a medical report from the hospital.
In court, a second prosecution witness, Abidat Bukola, recounted how the former Minister of Aviation allegedly provided her with N820,000 to obtain four counterfeit medical reports.
She testified that Fani-Kayode paid her N120,000, N150,000, N250,000, and N300,000 at various times for these forged reports.
Bukola also asserted that the former minister dictated the contents of the medical reports. However, Fani-Kayode denied these accusations.