How Fani-Kayode Stole Aviation Funds – Witness

A Superintendent of Police, Bashir Abdulahi, yesterday told a Federal High Court in Lagos how former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, allegedly made several illegal payments into his bank account while in office.

A Superintendent of Police, Bashir Abdulahi, yesterday told a Federal High Court in Lagos how former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, allegedly made several illegal payments into his bank account while in office.

Abdullahi, who was an operative with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, but now at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, told Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia that he investigated the alleged mismanagement of fund by Fani-Kayode.

Ofili-Ajumogobia adjourned till today for cross-examination.

But before the adjournment, the witness said the petition about mismanagement of aviation fund was assigned to his team for investigation.

He said investigation revealed that several payments, beyond the legal limits, were made into Fani-Kayode’s account, through one Mark Saviour.

Telling the court how his team discovered the alleged fraud, Abdulahi said: “I and other members of the team assigned responsibilities for ourselves and collected various documents that would assist our investigation.”

The witness said his team obtained several documents from various institutions, including Fani-Kayode’s statement of account with Finbank Plc, for analysis, adding that the team analysed the documents and the bank statements.

He said: “We obtained documents from different financial institutions; especially Finbank Plc which was keeping his accounts.

Abdulahi said Fani-Kayode reneged on his promise to produce Saviour for interrogation.

Responding to a question by prosecuting counsel, Mr. Vitalis Ahaotu, the witness said as at the time he left the EFCC the former minister did not present himself before the commission.

EFCC tendered seven statements made by Fani- Kayode between June and December 2008.

Abdullahi, who was an operative with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, but now at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, told Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia that he investigated the alleged mismanagement of fund by Fani-Kayode.

Ofili-Ajumogobia adjourned till today for cross-examination.

But before the adjournment, the witness said the petition about mismanagement of aviation fund was assigned to his team for investigation.

He said investigation revealed that several payments, beyond the legal limits, were made into Fani-Kayode’s account, through one Mark Saviour.

Telling the court how his team discovered the alleged fraud, Abdulahi said: “I and other members of the team assigned responsibilities for ourselves and collected various documents that would assist our investigation.”

The witness said his team obtained several documents from various institutions, including Fani-Kayode’s statement of account with Finbank Plc, for analysis, adding that the team analysed the documents and the bank statements.

He said: “We obtained documents from different financial institutions; especially Finbank Plc which was keeping his accounts.

Abdulahi said Fani-Kayode reneged on his promise to produce Saviour for interrogation.

Responding to a question by prosecuting counsel, Mr. Vitalis Ahaotu, the witness said as at the time he left the EFCC the former minister did not present himself before the commission.

EFCC tendered seven statements made by Fani- Kayode between June and December 2008.