Fani-Kayode Got N26m From Sambo Dasuki, EFCC Tells Court

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday,
narrated before the Federal High Court in Abuja, how former
Aviation Minister, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, received N26 million from
the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, without executing
any contract.

The anti-graft agency told the court that the money was sent to
the erstwhile Minister in a ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ (a sack), through his
driver identified as Francis and his Personal Assistant named
Victor.

The Commission made the revelation through one of its operatives
that testified as the third witness, PW-3, in the five-count money
laundering charge it entered against Fani-Kayode.

Fani-Kayode served as the Director of Media and Publicity in the
campaign team of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

EFCC alleged that N26 million was illegally released to him by
the erstwhile National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo
Dasuki(retd), before the 2015 general elections, to boost media
campaign for former President Jonathan.

At the resumed proceedings in the matter on Tuesday, the PW-3,
Mr. Mohammed Goji, said the EFCC had in the course of investigating
contracts executed by the Office of the National Security Adviser,
ONSA, under Dasuki, traced N26 million to the former minister.

While being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr.
Faruk Abdullahi, the witness said: “My lord, we got intelligence
report about certain amount of money running into billions of naira
meant for contracts in the Office of the National Security Adviser,
ONSA.

“Along the line, we discovered that N26 million was paid for
media consultancy for which there was no record that the project
was executed.

“We wrote series of letters to the Office of the NSA where we
got payment vouchers and proposals indicating how the said sum was
paid.

“In the course of investigation we gathered that the defendant
directed his domestic servants comprising of his driver by name,
Francis and his personal assistant named Victor, to access the
funds from the NSA.

“They took the cash sum in a ‘Ghana-Must- Go’ bag from the
account section of the NSA and took it to the defendant’s residence
as directed.”

The witness further disclosed that a search warrant was executed
in the residence of the defendant on May 10, 2016, after which he
was invited to EFCC office for an interview.

He said the defendant volunteered his statements under caution
on May 11 and 12, 2016.

Meanwhile, the prosecuting counsel Abdullah, after the testimony
of the witness, tendered in evidence documents comprising the
search warrant and the three statements which the defendant made
while in EFCC custody.

The Chief Judge of the Court, Justice John Tsoho who is
presiding over the matter, adjourned the case till April 21 for
continuation of trial.

It will be recalled that the court had on November 11, 2016,
granted the former minister bail to the tune of N50 million with
one surety in like sum, after he had spent about a month in custody
of the EFCC.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday,
narrated before the Federal High Court in Abuja, how former
Aviation Minister, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, received N26 million from
the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, without executing
any contract.

The anti-graft agency told the court that the money was sent to
the erstwhile Minister in a ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ (a sack), through his
driver identified as Francis and his Personal Assistant named
Victor.

The Commission made the revelation through one of its operatives
that testified as the third witness, PW-3, in the five-count money
laundering charge it entered against Fani-Kayode.

Fani-Kayode served as the Director of Media and Publicity in the
campaign team of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

EFCC alleged that N26 million was illegally released to him by
the erstwhile National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo
Dasuki(retd), before the 2015 general elections, to boost media
campaign for former President Jonathan.

At the resumed proceedings in the matter on Tuesday, the PW-3,
Mr. Mohammed Goji, said the EFCC had in the course of investigating
contracts executed by the Office of the National Security Adviser,
ONSA, under Dasuki, traced N26 million to the former minister.

While being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr.
Faruk Abdullahi, the witness said: “My lord, we got intelligence
report about certain amount of money running into billions of naira
meant for contracts in the Office of the National Security Adviser,
ONSA.

“Along the line, we discovered that N26 million was paid for
media consultancy for which there was no record that the project
was executed.

“We wrote series of letters to the Office of the NSA where we
got payment vouchers and proposals indicating how the said sum was
paid.

“In the course of investigation we gathered that the defendant
directed his domestic servants comprising of his driver by name,
Francis and his personal assistant named Victor, to access the
funds from the NSA.

“They took the cash sum in a ‘Ghana-Must- Go’ bag from the
account section of the NSA and took it to the defendant’s residence
as directed.”

The witness further disclosed that a search warrant was executed
in the residence of the defendant on May 10, 2016, after which he
was invited to EFCC office for an interview.

He said the defendant volunteered his statements under caution
on May 11 and 12, 2016.

Meanwhile, the prosecuting counsel Abdullah, after the testimony
of the witness, tendered in evidence documents comprising the
search warrant and the three statements which the defendant made
while in EFCC custody.

The Chief Judge of the Court, Justice John Tsoho who is
presiding over the matter, adjourned the case till April 21 for
continuation of trial.

It will be recalled that the court had on November 11, 2016,
granted the former minister bail to the tune of N50 million with
one surety in like sum, after he had spent about a month in custody
of the EFCC.