By OKECHUKWU PEACE
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode and his fiancée, Precious Chikwendu could not contain their joy as they embraced on Monday when a Federal High Court in Lagos granted him bail.
The lovers grinned from ear-to-ear while photographers miled around them to caption the moments.
Justice Muslim Hassan granted bail to the sum of N250m with two sureties in like sum and ordered Fani-Kayode to deposit his passport in the custody of the court pending the outcome of the case.
The sureties, the court said, must be owners of landed properties within the court’s jurisdiction. They were also to present evidence of tax clearance in the state.
Fani-Kayode, who was the spokesperson for former President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign organisation in the 2015 general election, has been under EFCC detention since May 9.
Also admitted to bail in the same conditions were a former Minister of State for Finance, Nemandi Usman, and one Danjuma Yusuf, who were standing trial along with Fani-Kayode.
Joined as the 4th defendant in the charge was a company, Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited.
The accused were on June 28, 2016 arraigned before Justice Hassan on 17 counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful retention of proceeds of theft and money laundering.
The accused persons were said to have allegedly committed the offences between January 8, 2015 and March 25, 2015 in the build-up to the general elections.
The EFCC prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, had told the court that the said conspiracy and indirect retention of the N1.5bn constituted an offence under Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012, punishable under Section 15(3)( 4) of the same Act.
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