BY FRANCIS IWUCHUKWU
A Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria was on Friday hinted as to how a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode allegedly influenced the procurement of medical reports for different accounts.
The hint came through a second prosecution witness and a media practitioner, Abidat.
She insisted before the court presided over by Justice Abike-Fadipe that Fani-Kayode gave her N120,000 for the first forged medical certificate, N150,000 for the second forged medical report, N250,000 to procure the 3rd forged medical report and the sum of N300,000 for the fourth forged medical report.
The witness equally told the judge that Fani-Kayode dictated what should be the content of the medical report.
It would be recalled that Fani-Kayode is facing 12 counts charge before Justice Abike-Fadipe, brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following his alleged use of forged medical report(s) tendered before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he is being prosecuted by the Commission for alleged N4.9billion fraud.
One of the counts read: “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.”
But the former minister pleaded not guilty to the charges when he was first arraigned on December 17, 2021.
At the resumption of proceedings on Thursday, the prosecution’s first witness, Bassey Amah, who introduced himself as Head, Medical Records, Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja, was cross-examined by the lead defence counsel, N.I. Quakers, SAN.
Under cross-examination, Quakers, through the witness, tendered in evidence a Certified True Copy of his hospital’s identity card, and it was thereafter admitted in evidence as Exhibit P2.
Quakers had noted during cross-examination that on the said ID card, the witness was identified as Assistant Chief Medical Record Officer, while he told the Court that he was the Head of the hospital’s Medical Record Unit.
Under re-examination by the lead prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, the witness, however, clarified that what was on the ID card was his rank and that by designation he is the Head of the Medical Record Unit.
The defence also through the witness, tendered in evidence the extrajudicial statement of the witness, which was volunteered to the EFCC in the course of investigations and was admitted as Exhibit P3.
Through the witness, the defence also tendered in evidence the letter of the EFCC addressed to the Managing Director of the Hospital concerning the investigation into the said medical report. The letter and its attachment were admitted in evidence as Exhibit P4 and P4a.
Upon the discharge of the Pw1, the prosecution team called the second witness ABIDAT a media practitioner who informed the court of how she was called by Fani-Kayode to procure the medical reports for different amounts.
It was her evidence that Fani-Kayode gave her N120,000 for the first forged medical certificate, N150,000 for the second forged medical report, N250,000 to procure the 3rd forged medical report and the sum of N300,000 for the fourth forged medical report.
Abidat also informed the court of how Fani-Kayode dictated what should be the content of the medical report.
She testified that her Samsung phone used in communicating with Fani-Kayode was recovered by the Commission.
The case has been adjourned till April 8 and 29, 2022 for the continuation of trial and to also enable the prosecution to tender the phone in evidence.
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